Ankara on Thursday conveyed its strong disapproval to Sweden regarding anti-Türkiye and terrorist propaganda after a mannequin depicting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was hung outside the city hall in Stockholm, further eroding trust in the NATO process.
Türkiye summoned Swedish Ambassador Staffan Herrström to convey Ankara’s displeasure. Diplomatic sources said, “The ambassador was informed with strong expressions that we strongly condemn and protest this heinous act and demanded that such terrorist acts, which clearly violate Sweden's commitments with the tripartite testament, and openly threaten our country, should not be allowed.”
Similarly, the ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in November after images that allegedly insulted Erdoğan were projected on the Turkish Embassy building in Stockholm.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said PKK supporters have been continuing their terrorist propaganda in Stockholm targeting both Erdoğan and Türkiye, adding: "Of course, allowing this is unacceptable and we condemn it."
Speaking to A Haber News Channel, Çavuşoğlu noted: "This is not just an attack on our president. It is an attack on the whole Türkiye."
"Likewise, our ambassador in Stockholm (Yönet Can Tezel) took the necessary initiatives in Stockholm. We have emphasized that we condemn this despicable act and being a mere spectator and that those responsible should be found and punished immediately.”
Separately, speaking to national broadcaster TRT Haber, Çavuşoğlu said NATO allies need to understand Türkiye's security concerns.
"What are their expectations from us? Our approval of NATO memberships ... Such a thing is not possible. (It's) clear. Of course, we will continue our fight against terrorism with determination inside and outside.
"But if this country does not take the steps, does not keep its promises, does not fulfill the obligations under the treaty, then it should not expect anything from us," he added.
Çavuşoğlu stressed that everyone, including NATO, needs to react to this, saying: "This is not freedom of expression. Insulting, provoking the leader of a country in this way. While doing this, they are also spreading terrorist propaganda."
Scenes of protests in Stockholm have been a particular issue mentioned by Turkish authorities in the past, with Erdoğan saying members of the PKK should not be allowed to parade around Sweden.
The latest incident comes after Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said recently that Sweden is unable to fulfill all the demands posed by Türkiye for it to join NATO and does not intend to do so.
On the other side, Kristersson told broadcaster TV4 on Friday that the act was "extremely serious" and he considered it a sabotage against the NATO application. Police said they had no knowledge of the incident until it was over.
"It is aimed, I would say, as a sabotage against the Swedish NATO application," he said. "It is dangerous for Swedish security to act in this way."
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström also condemned the act.
“The government is committed to an open debate on political choices but strongly rejects threats and hatred against political representatives. Portraying an elected president as executed outside City Hall is abhorrent," Billström wrote on Twitter.
In response to the provocations in Stockholm, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop canceled his Swedish counterpart Andreas Norlen's visit to Türkiye which had been scheduled for Jan. 17.
Erdoğan filed a criminal complaint to the Ankara chief public prosecutor’s office on the perpetrators of the protest in Stockholm.
Vice President Fuat Oktay "cursed" the demonstration in Sweden by the members of the "treacherous" terrorist organization and voiced expectations for Sweden to keep its promises under NATO membership initiatives and not tolerate such attempts.
"These events have once again shown Türkiye's legitimate concerns to the world public opinion. No democratic state of law can be expected to turn a blind eye to such an unlawful demonstration.
"We expect the Swedish authorities to take legal action immediately against terrorist groups and their supporters who committed these unacceptable acts," Oktay said on Twitter.
Oktay also reiterated that Türkiye demanded the extradition of terrorists and that none have been extradited so far from Ankara’s list.
Meanwhile, news agency TT reported on Thursday that the Swedish government will not extradite four people sought by Türkiye who are linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
The extradition requests were made in 2019 and 2020 before Sweden and Finland signed a three-way agreement with Türkiye.
Sweden's High Court decided last summer they could not extradite the four, TT said, leaving the government no choice but to follow its decision.
Türkiye called a separate decision by the High Court in December to block the extradition of FETÖ fugitive Bülent Keneş a "very negative" development.
Erdoğan had singled out Keneş as a person Ankara wanted to be extradited from Sweden as a condition for Ankara's approval for Stockholm to join NATO.
Similarly, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın also condemned the recent act, saying: “Again, we state clearly: Unless the activities of terrorist organizations are stopped, it is not possible for the NATO membership process to progress.”
Furthermore, as the whole nation lashed out at Sweden, a reaction also came from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
"We strongly condemn the provocation attempt against the Republic of Türkiye and the president by the members of the treacherous terrorist organization in Sweden. We invite the Swedish authorities to fulfill their responsibilities,” the CHP wrote on their official social media account.
Finland and Sweden signed a three-way agreement with Türkiye in 2022 aimed at overcoming Ankara's objections to their NATO membership.
Stockholm has long been criticized by Ankara for housing members of various terrorist organizations, particularly members of the PKK and, in recent years, FETÖ – the organization behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt in Türkiye.
Türkiye has provided a list of wanted individuals to Sweden and expects the Scandinavian nation to take swift action to show that its demands are being addressed.
For Sweden and Finland to become NATO members, all 30 NATO members must ratify their applications. So far, 28 have already done so – only Türkiye and Hungary have votes still pending.
Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO in June, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine.
However, Türkiye voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.
Ahead of a historic NATO summit, the three countries signed a trilateral deal in June that prevented a Turkish veto. In the memorandum, the Nordic countries said they would address Türkiye’s extradition requests for terrorists. The joint memorandum states that Finland and Sweden “will not provide support to ... the organization described as FETÖ” as well as terrorist groups.
Sweden and Finland agreed earlier this summer to assure Türkiye of their support against security risks. Türkiye is awaiting the extradition of dozens of terrorist suspects from the two Nordic countries.
