The Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson on Friday (13 January) deplored as “sabotage” of his nation’s NATO bid the demonstration in Stockholm during which a puppet of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was hung from its ft.
On Thursday, footage shared by pro-government Turkish media confirmed what they mentioned was a protest by PKK members during which they hung a puppet of Erdoğan outdoors the Stockholm metropolis corridor. Only a few individuals could possibly be seen within the footage.
Within the meantime, Turkey summoned Sweden’s ambassador to Ankara, a diplomatic supply mentioned.
Sweden has been looking for Turkey’s approval to hitch NATO, for which it utilized after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine final yr. Ankara has mentioned Sweden wanted to take a clearer stance towards what it sees as terrorists, primarily Kurdish militants and the organisation it blames for a 2016 coup try.
“Folks tried to indicate their view on the Swedish NATO accession in a disgusting means, portraying President Erdoğan in one thing wanting like an execution. That is dangerous in each sense”, Kristersson mentioned.
He added in Swedish, based on translation, that the incident was considered with utmost concern not least as a result of in Sweden, two high-level politicians have been killed within the latest previous.
Certainly, Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot to demise on Stockholm’s most important avenue in 1986 as he returned from cinema along with his spouse. Anna Lindh, Swedish international minister, was stabbed to demise in 1998, in a Stockholm garment retailer.
“We see it as an act of sabotage towards our software to change into members of NATO, each for Sweden and Finland. I can see clearly why Turkey is outraged, we might present the identical response if this was aimed toward Swedish leaders”, Kristersson mentioned.
He was talking alongside Fee President Ursula von der Leyen on the presser within the northern Swedish city of Kiruna, on the event of the inauguration of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Earlier than that, Sweden’s international ministry confirmed their ambassador had been known as to the international ministry in Ankara, however declined to offer particulars of what was mentioned.
Scenes of protests in Stockholm has been a selected situation talked about by Turkish authorities prior to now, with Erdogan saying members of the outlawed Kurdistan Employees Celebration (PKK) shouldn’t be allowed to parade round Sweden.
Swedish Overseas Minister Tobias Billstrom mentioned Stockholm condemned the incident however didn’t refer on to any nation.
“The federal government protects an open debate about political decisions, however strongly distances itself from threats and hatred towards political representatives,” he mentioned on Twitter.
“Portraying a popularly elected president as being executed outdoors Metropolis Corridor is abhorrent.”
“That PKK terrorist can problem the Swedish authorities on the coronary heart of Stockholm is proof that the Swedish authorities haven’t taken mandatory steps towards terrorism,” the Turkish presidency’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, mentioned on Twitter.
