'Not funding terrorists': Sweden PM hits back at Turkey amid war of words over NATO bid

Sweden has denied funding or providing military equipment to terrorist organisations. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has said that they have not been providing "money or weapons to terrorist organisations," according to AP. She made the remarks after her meeting with European Council President Charles Michel in Stockholm. The statement of the Swedish Prime Minister came as Turkey has been opposing Sweden and Finland's bids to join North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), accusing them of supporting Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and other entities that Turkey has designated as a terrorist organisation. 

“We do not send money or weapons to terrorist organisations,” PM Magdalena Andersson said, as per AP. 

Furthermore, the Turkish government has accused Finland and Sweden of imposing arms export restrictions against Turkey and not expressing willingness to extradite suspected "terrorists." Sweden PM's remarks came as Finnish and Swedish delegations have arrived in Turkey to hold discussions with the Turkish administration to discuss their objections to Finland and Sweden's NATO membership. According to AP, the delegations of Finland and Sweden have held a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal. 

Delegations of Sweden & Finland arrive in Turkey

The delegation of Sweden has been headed by state secretary Oscar Stenstrom, while the Finnish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Jukka Salovaara is leading the delegation of Finland. It is to note here that Sweden and Finland on Wednesday, May 18, submitted their official applications to the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for joining the military alliance. However, the Turkish government has been opposing their NATO bids citing Finland and Sweden's support for the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and other groups that Turkey views as "terrorists." Notably, Finland and Sweden need the support of all 30 NATO members to join the military alliance. 

Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson speaks to Turkish President Erdogan 

Earlier on May 21, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson discussed the bilateral ties and Sweden's NATO bid in a phone conversation. According to Turkey's Directorate of Communications, Erdogan in his talks with Andersson highlighted that “solidarity” is an essential value within the Alliance in terms of the security of the member countries and the collective security of the transatlantic and European region. Erdogan affirmed to Andersson that Turkey, thus far, fully supported NATO's open-door policy and noted that Turkey has raised its resentment of Sweden's contact with so-called organisations controlled by the PKK/YPG/PYD terrorist organisations. During the conversation, Erdogan called on Sweden to put an end to providing political, financial and weapon support to a terrorist organisation. 

(Inputs from AP)

Image: AP