NATO: Sweden is handed over to Turkey as part of the agreement
The Swedish government agreed this week to extradite a man convicted of fraud to Turkey. The extradition comes as Turkey demanded the extradition of several people as part of the deal for the country’s bid to join the NATO alliance.
Sweden announced on Thursday that it would be to extradite a Turkish citizen wanted for fraud. The move is the first case since Turkey demanded that a number of people be extradited in exchange for the country lifting its veto on Sweden and Finland’s membership. Turkey has expressed frustration at the lack of progress.
“This is a normal routine matter. The person in question is a Turkish citizen and was convicted of fraud in Turkey in 2013 and 2016,” Swedish Justice Minister Morgan Johansson told Reuters. “The Supreme Court has examined the matter as usual and concluded that there are no obstacles to extradition.”
A Justice Ministry spokesman did not say whether the man was on the list of individuals Turkey demanded extradited and did not provide further comment.
According to SVT, the man involved was sentenced to 14 years in prison for several cases of bank card fraud. The man said he has been wrongly convicted because he converted to Christianity, refused military service and has Kurdish heritage.
Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership against the background of the ongoing war in Ukraine, despite warnings from Moscow.
Following the accession protocols made last month, the US Senate ratified the countries’ accession to the alliance last week. The Senate almost unanimously approved the accession of both countries by 95 to 1, making the United States the 23rd country of the 30 member states to ratify Sweden and Finland’s membership.
In the same week, Italy and France also ratified the two countries’ accession to the alliance.
“This historic vote sends an important signal about America’s enduring, bipartisan commitment to NATO and ensuring our alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. Biden also praised the Senate’s swift ratification process.