We have no baggage in the NATO issue

The newly appointed Foreign Minister Tobias Billström believes that his government will have an easier time getting Sweden into NATO than the previous one

– We have a different position, he says and refers to the Swedish government’s “baggage” in the Kurdish issue.

Newly appointed foreign minister Tobias Billström has high hopes that he and Ulf Kristersson’s government will take Sweden all the way into the defense alliance, despite Turkey’s demands.

In order for Turkey to approve Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO application, Turkey, Finland and Sweden have entered into a joint agreement with a series of points that must be met.

It is, among other things, about joint cooperation between law enforcement authorities, security services and counter-terrorism. Particular mention is made of the Kurdish organizations PKK and YPG/PYD.

In addition to this, Turkey has demanded that above all Sweden expel a number of “terrorists”.

“A troublesome part”

Tobias Billström believes that Magdalena Andersson’s S-government was weighed down by her relationships.

– Among other things, it was about statements that had been made and about how they viewed activities from Kurdish groups on Swedish territory, and I feel that the government that has now taken office does not have that kind of baggage, says Billström.

He describes the agreement that the Social Democrats made with the political savage Amineh Kakabaveh as an aggravating circumstance.

– It is a very clear and concrete example of such a relationship that was part of this baggage, he says and emphasizes that the agreement was widely spread internationally.

– It cannot be ruled out that it was perceived as a troublesome part of the relationship between the Swedish and Turkish governments.

Even the Turkey expert Paul Levin has previously pointed out that the new government may have a greater opportunity to approach the issue without there being preconceived notions against them.

A: Makes no difference

But Magdalena Andersson (S) fights back. She believes that Sweden has good conditions to join NATO, but that it may be delayed until this summer. According to her, the big and decisive step was taken with her government in Madrid when Sweden and Finland concluded the agreement with Turkey and then received so-called invitee status, she says.

– Now it’s just a matter of living according to this agreement, and of course there will be a ratification after that. I think there are good possibilities.

TT: Does this government have better opportunities than the S government?

– No, I don’t think it makes any difference whatsoever. There has been talk around that it would be easier for them because of Amineh Kakabaveh or the Left Party, but the truth was that it was in the government document that I had that we reached invitee status.

Åkesson ported

She brings up the fact that the Sweden Democrats’ party leader Jimmie Åkesson, according to his own statement, was banned from entering Turkey in connection with handing out leaflets at the Turkish-Greek border in 2020.

– There is baggage here also in the form of a party leader who has been ported in Turkey and very anti-Islamic representatives, Andersson says.

Among other things, Rickard Jomshof (SD), chairman of the Riksdag’s justice committee, has attracted attention for various Islamophobic statements.

Tobias Billström has not noticed that the government’s cooperation with SD would have any negative impact.

– I do not perceive any criticism or any problems in the relationship between Sweden and Turkey vis-à-vis the Tidö Agreement, and it may have to do with the Sweden Democrats’ unreserved statement in favor of NATO membership, which is the central issue that this is about.

– As long as things stand that way, I think it can be assumed that we have a different position than the previous government had in relation to organizations like the PKK or the YPG, which we have no intention of cooperating with on the part of the Swedish government if it affects the relationship with Turkey in terms of counter-terrorism.