Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saw his chance and took it. Probably to pick up political points at home. Thus, sticks were put in the wheel for a Swedish-Finnish fast track into NATO. Erdogan’s requirements are not small, but quite predictable:
• Sweden’s export ban on arms to Turkey must be lifted.
• Sweden must guarantee that it does not provide support for the Kurdish PKK or PYD (which for Erdogan is equated with the PKK).
• Individuals who have received protection in Sweden must be extradited to Turkey.
The government is, of course, hoping for a solution to these issues, but it is important that it does not give in without this being anchored among the voters.
To break down the requirements in turn:
• Arms trade / exchange between countries that are part of the same defense alliance is a reasonable requirement (which also shows the unreasonableness of Sweden being part of the same alliance as Turkey, but that debate has already killed the Social Democrats, so we leave it). Swedish arms exports to Turkey, which in recent years has acted aggressively in its sphere of interest (even against Greece, another NATO member), and which promises new offensives in northern Syria, are completely unreasonable. If Swedish weapons are sent to Turkey, there is a great risk that they will be used offensively rather than defensively. Hence the Swedish stop for arms exports. To tear up this decision thus means a total demolition of the principles that govern Swedish arms exports and can not be done without anchoring among the Swedish people.
• That Sweden should not support terrorist-branded PKK is a matter of course. It is equally obvious that Sweden should work for a fair treatment of the Kurds. In the war against IS, the YPG (PYD military branch) was one of the main groups on the ground and their efforts were decisive. It should be said that the YPG is far from a problem-free organization, but also that Sweden should not easily turn its back on the Kurds. To make too large concessions to Erdogan regarding the Kurds can thus not be done without anchoring among the people.
• Under no circumstances can persons who have received protection in Sweden be extradited to Turkey if they can not be expected to receive a fair trial that imposes reasonable sanctions. The requirement applies to people with links to the PKK, PYD and FETO (another terrorist organization active in Turkey). In the Foreign Ministry’s report from last year, Turkish legal certainty is described as substandard. In particular, it is pointed out that Turkish law allows a very broad interpretation of the concept of terrorism and also that the judiciary has been tightly controlled by the political power since 2016 (read President Erdogan). With this in mind, no extradition should take place except possibly in extreme cases. A change in this policy must be rooted in the electorate.
It is entirely It is simply not reasonable for the government and the opposition to use their newfound majority in the NATO issue to justify concessions to Turkey and Erdogan. It is not in such a hurry to join NATO that we cannot wait until September. Important decisions such as these require that the people be allowed to have their say.