MADRID. Above all, a demand for Sweden is still unresolved ahead of the meeting between Magdalena Andersson and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The plan is for Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to produce a letter that is approved by both of them, as well as by Finland.
However, a source with transparency states that it looks dark to get a solution during the day.
In a couple of hours, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö at the NATO summit in Madrid.
The meeting is held in the IFEMA congress center in the northern part of the city and is surrounded by a giant security event. Heads of government from most NATO countries are expected to attend, including US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Police are standing in every street corner along the congress, parks and green areas have been searched or cordoned off.
For Magdalena Andersson, it’s all about solving the problems with Turkey. According to a government source, the biggest obstacle right now is the classification of terrorists. Turkey wants a large number of Kurdish organizations to be classified as terrorist organizations – something that Sweden opposes and which other NATO countries do.
Weapon restrictions and extraditions
A source with insight describes that Sweden in talks with Turkey has made it clear that in Sweden it is documents that count, not whether you are a member of an organization or not. At the same time, it has been stated that Sweden is in the process of changing the terrorism legislation so that in the future it will be illegal to be part of a terrorist-labeled organization. The change is expected to take effect next year if it is approved by the Riksdag this autumn.
Two further problems are Sweden’s arms restrictions on Turkey and the extradition of persons whom the country classifies as terrorists and who are in Sweden. They are not considered to be as difficult to handle as the terrorist classification. With regard to arms restrictions, the government has stated in talks with Turkey that if Sweden becomes a member of NATO, it will be easier for another NATO country to trade arms with Sweden, but that an individual examination is made by the responsible authority.
The issue of extradition is also handled by the responsible authority, which is Säpo, but the government has made it clear in the talks that Sweden is ready to strengthen intelligence cooperation with Turkey.
Magdalena Andersson participates in NATO dinners
Since 2016, Turkey has submitted around 20 demands to extradite people. A couple affiliated with the PKK have been expelled, but Sweden’s position is that it is not illegal to join other organizations that Turkey classifies as terrorists, including the Gulen movement.
Prior to today’s meeting, President Erdogan has said that he will present documentation that Sweden and Finland do not distance themselves sufficiently from terrorist organizations. According to a government source, Sweden has not seen what kind of documentation it is, nothing has been presented at any of the previous meetings that have been held.
During her stay in Madrid, Magdalena Andersson will attend two NATO dinners with heads of government from the other member states, as well as meet representatives of countries that have shown special support for the Swedish process, including Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.