Sweden security chief vows to fight PKK amid Türkiye's concerns

A senior security official of Sweden, where the presence of terrorist groups irked Türkiye, pledged that they would continue their fight against one of them, the PKK.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on February 22, Charlotte von Essen, head of the Swedish Security Service (SAPO), underlined the importance of cooperation between the states against terrorist organizations.

Remarking that Sweden has taken tougher measures to deal with terrorism threats and has been maintaining good cooperation with Türkiye in this domain, she noted the PKK will remain a terrorist organization in the annual evaluation report. "As such, we are taking steps to limit the activities of the PKK, which uses Sweden as a base. We want to prevent operations of the PKK and organizations affiliated with it in Sweden," Essen said.

She added that Russia, China and Iran are the major countries posing a threat to the country's security. On Feb. 13, Sweden's National Centre for Terrorist Threat Assessment (NCT) revealed in its annual report that the PKK actively operates in the country and wider Europe. Its activities included extortion, political lobbying and recruitment of operatives to be used in the terror campaign against Türkiye, the report noted.

Sweden's bid to join NATO was stalled by Türkiye as the former openly harboured supporters of the PKK, as well as members of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), another group posing a threat to Türkiye. Türkiye, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum to address Ankara's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for their eventual membership in the alliance. Months later, Türkiye ratified the accession bid of Finland first and, later, Sweden.

Türkiye's backing, long seen as the main obstacle in securing Sweden's accession into the Western military alliance, leaves Hungary as the only ally in the military alliance yet to ratify the Swedish bid. As Parliament approved the bid in January, senior ruling party legislator Fuat Oktay said that Sweden had amended its counterterrorism laws, curbed the PKK's financial activities, convicted a terrorism suspect and extradited another, and lifted restrictions on arms sales to Türkiye.