A Turkish citizen is charged in Sweden for gun crimes and elevating cash for the Kurdistan Staff’ Get together (PKK).
Swedish prosecutors have charged a Turkish citizen for gun crimes and elevating cash for the outlawed Kurdistan Staff’ Get together (PKK), which took up arms in opposition to the Turkish state in 1984.
Friday’s case has come at a delicate time in Sweden’s relations with Turkey, which is holding up its software for NATO membership, partly as a result of it has mentioned Sweden harbours supporters of armed teams it considers to be “terrorists”.
Sweden’s prosecution authority mentioned it was the primary time anybody had been charged within the nation with making an attempt to offer financing to the PKK, designated “a terrorist organisation” by Turkey, the European Union and the USA.
It mentioned the person was suspected of aggravated extortion, critical gun crime and making an attempt to fund PKK.
“The investigation has given assist for suspicions that the person was performing on behalf of the Kurdistan Staff’ Get together,” the prosecution authority mentioned in an announcement.
In accordance with the indictment, the person was a part of an in depth organisation accumulating cash for the PKK and had contact with one other Turkish citizen who was jailed in Germany for being a member of the armed group.
The person’s lawyer, Ilhan Aydin, mentioned his consumer rejected the accusations of aggravated extortion and making an attempt to fund, however would settle for a weapons cost of a decrease grade.
Aydin additionally mentioned he didn’t need the geopolitical scenario to overshadow his consumer’s case.
“I hope my consumer doesn’t turn into a bit within the recreation or the negotiations on NATO,” he mentioned.
Sweden, which utilized to hitch NATO final 12 months following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, needs its membership ratified earlier than the alliance’s summit in mid-July in Vilnius.
Solely Turkey and Hungary have but to approve the bid. Finland, which utilized alongside Sweden and was initially blocked by Ankara, joined NATO in April.
Sweden mentioned it has fulfilled all of the circumstances of a three-way pact with Turkey and Finland struck in Madrid in June final 12 months to easy its path to NATO membership.
However Turkey has mentioned Sweden has not gone far sufficient to assuage its safety considerations.
Talks between the 2 nations over NATO accession are resulting from restart subsequent week.