New Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's visit to Türkiye is interpreted by the Turkish people as a sign that Sweden is "understanding their legitimate concerns" as it has "shown a will not to bow to the impositions made by terrorist organizations," Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said Monday.
Altun's article evaluating Kristersson's visit and Sweden's NATO membership process was published in the Swedish-based newspaper Aftonbladet. Noting that the declaration by the new government in Sweden that it will abide by the memorandum signed in Madrid is a positive development, Altun said the new government will fulfill the requirements of this framework negotiated by the previous government and that it has adopted a principled attitude.
Emphasizing that Kristersson's visit to Ankara is an important opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations, Altun said: "This visit is interpreted by the Turkish people as 'understanding their legitimate concerns' and 'Sweden has shown a will not to bow to the impositions made by terrorist organizations, especially the PKK.'"
Pointing out some of Türkiye's concerns in the context of Sweden's application for NATO membership, Altun recalled that Türkiye asked Sweden to review some of its policies that are closely related to its national security.
He noted that these requests specifically focused on two issues and added: "First of all, we asked Sweden to remove all kinds of restrictions on the Turkish defense sector. As it is known, Türkiye produces many high-tech defense products, especially unmanned aerial vehicles, and thus plays a stabilizing role in the world. As a matter of fact, our defense sector contributes to the security of our alliance by making sales to many NATO countries. It is clear that it would be inconsistent to say the least, for the Turkish defense sector, which contributes to NATO's security, to be subject to restrictions by a state wishing to join NATO.
"The second issue is the discomfort felt that terrorist organizations, which killed tens of thousands of innocent Turkish citizens, continue their financing, propaganda and recruiting activities in Sweden. We are cautiously optimistic that the Swedish government will take concrete steps regarding our terror concern, which it has justified and committed to addressing with the memorandum signed in Madrid. The fight against terrorism is essential on the road to Sweden's NATO membership, given that NATO allies have promised to defend each other with all their might if attacked."
Stressing that Prime Minister Kristersson's visit to Ankara should be seen as a historical opportunity for Sweden's NATO membership, Altun added that Türkiye will evaluate Sweden's membership application by looking at whether concrete steps have been taken within the framework of the memorandum signed in Madrid.
