Swedish prosecutors have recently charged a Turkish national in his 40s with raising money for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). This marks the first time in Sweden that someone has been charged with fundraising for the PKK, a group considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union, and the United States. The charges come at a time when Turkey has been blocking Sweden's bid to join NATO for several months.

The man is suspected of several offenses, including aggravated extortion, serious gun crimes, and attempted funding of terrorism. Prosecutors stated that the investigation has provided evidence supporting the suspicion that the man was acting on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers Party. Furthermore, the indictment reveals that he maintained contact with another Turkish national who had been sentenced to prison in Germany in 2016 for fundraising for the PKK.

The PKK, which initiated armed resistance against the Turkish state in 1984, has been a contentious issue between Turkey and Sweden. Turkey has accused Sweden of not taking sufficient action against PKK members and failing to extradite them. In December 2022, Sweden extradited a man who had been convicted of being a PKK member in Turkey before seeking asylum in Sweden. Moreover, Sweden's Supreme Court recently approved the extradition of another convicted PKK supporter to Turkey.

The current charges against the Turkish national coincide with Sweden's ongoing efforts to join NATO, a process that requires unanimous support from member countries. Turkey has consistently opposed Sweden's NATO membership, citing concerns about the presence of PKK supporters in Sweden and Sweden's alleged failure to extradite them. Protests against Sweden's NATO bid by PKK supporters have taken place in Sweden in recent months.

The issue of Sweden's NATO membership will be a topic of discussion during the upcoming talks between Sweden and Turkey. Both NATO and Sweden have expressed their desire to finalize Sweden's membership before the alliance summit in Lithuania scheduled for July.

This development further highlights the complex diplomatic and security challenges surrounding Sweden's NATO aspirations and the ongoing tensions between Turkey and Sweden over the PKK issue.

Source: Reuters, EFE, DW