Photographs have been shown in Turkey of Swedish weapons confiscated from PKK fighters in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Following the opposition of Finland and Sweden to NATO membership, much of Ankara’s outrage has been directed at Sweden.
Admittedly, the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke again yesterday about both Finland and Sweden as countries that, among many other injustices, give money and weapons to terrorists.
The allegation that Sweden has armed the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is particularly harsh. For example, the Turkish broadcaster TRT claims that Sweden has supplied anti-tank weapons to the PKK.
Photos that are difficult to explain
Turkish security forces have released pictures that are said to show confiscated Swedish weapons. Also Edam brainstorming workshop (moving to another service)who is not affiliated with the Turkish government, has previously reported on singles.
It is not unique that weapons delivered to one country or to a particular group can be found in surprising places. Hundreds of thousands of AT4 throws have been produced, including licensed in the United States.
Widespread type of weapon
The weapon has been delivered to several locations in the Middle East and around the world.
When the Iraqi military virtually collapsed under the pressure of the extremist Isis in 2014, weapons spread over a wide area in Iraq and Syria.
The United States has supplied many weapons to Syrian Kurdish armed forces to the YPG, which has been a valuable ally in the fight against the extremist Isis. Turkey considers the YPG to be the same as the PKK in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, and there is suspicion that armaments have been transferred to PKK fighters.
This is a serious matter for the EU and the US, as they define the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Turkey has talked in the past about the end of weapons supplied by the West to the PKK. Now the issue has been raised with renewed vigor as part of the campaign against Finland and Sweden.
Serial numbers could reveal the origin
If Sweden is innocent of arming the PKK, it could reassure Turkey by accepting the serial numbers of the weapons found and telling where the cans were originally sold.
When a Carl Gustaf anti-tank weapon was used in government in Myanmar in 2012, the serial number revealed that the weapon was originally sold to India (switch to another service).
This same weapon has also been found in Syria, but no information is available from public sources as to where the weapon came from.
Erdoğan is looking for terrorists in parliaments
Independent Member of the Swedish Parliament Amineh Kakabaveh has also been the target of anger in Turkey.
Kakabaveh himself has stated that he is one of the people referred to by Erdoğan when talking about terrorists found in parliaments.
Last fall, Kakabaveh had a place of influence. He cast a decisive vote that enabled the Social Democrat Magdalena Anderssonin rise to prime minister.
The paper also promises to support the work of the pro-Kurdish HDP party in Turkey.
The document signed by Kakabaveh and the Social Democrat party secretary does not seem to have anything very radical, but at the moment it is a paper that burns in the hands of Sweden. For Turkey, it is likely to be proof of support for “terrorists”.
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