Turkey’s extradition requests have not yet been met by Sweden, Finland – Minister of Justice
ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – Aug 18, 2022) Sweden and Finland have yet to satisfy Turkey’s extradition requests, with the process of their joining NATO halted until they fulfill their obligations, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Thursday.
Finland and Sweden submitted applications to join the alliance in mid-May to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg against the background of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Their membership bid was blocked by Turkey, but at the end of June Ankara signed a memorandum in Madrid with Sweden and Finland on security. Turkey, in turn, has withdrawn its objections to the two European countries joining the alliance.
“Turkey’s positive decision does not mean that the process of Sweden and Finland joining NATO is finished. This is the will to initiate the process. If the promises to Turkey in the agreement are kept, Turkey will keep its word. What is our word If you do what you promised we will say yes to membership.
Otherwise, the process will slow down. So far, the Swedish and Finnish governments have not granted extradition requests in line with Turkey’s expectations… The person extradited by them has nothing to do with terrorist crimes,” Bozdag was quoted as saying by Milliyet newspaper.
Last month, Bozdag said Ankara had sent a written demand to Sweden and Finland for the extradition of members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the organization of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen (FETO), which is considered a terrorist by Turkey. Sweden is said to have drawn up a list of ten PKK members for extradition to Turkey after signing the memorandum.
Earlier in the month, the media suggested that the Swedish government had decided to extradite a Turkish citizen for the first time since Ankara demanded that a number of people be extradited in exchange for Stockholm being allowed to formally apply for NATO membership.