Swedish newspaper calls on Turkey to return to Sweden 'the criminals who live in luxury here'

Click to read the article in Turkish

Aftonbladet, the biggest daily newspaper in Sweden published a call inviting Turkey to extradite some criminals of Swedish nationality living in Turkey. 

The call states that Turkish authorities and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan among them, are inviting, at every opportunity, Sweden to repatriate some authors, journalists, academicians, and human rights defenders living freely in Sweden, having obtained refugee status in the country, the number of whom ranges between 33 and 130. 

"Simultaneously with Turkey requesting Sweden to extradite its opponents, Sweden is facing the largest organized criminal actions in its history. Almost every day comes reports of armed attacks and killings from all parts of Sweden," the call states*.  

"The criminals live in luxury in Turkey"

"It is as if anyone can be killed anywhere at any time. Most of these cruel attacks are being organized by Swedish criminals now living in luxury in Turkey. These criminals have obtained Turkish citizenship and Turkey is therefore arguing that they cannot be returned to Sweden." 

"One such leader of a criminal gang threatening security in our country is Rawa Majid, the leader of the criminal organization called "Foxtrot" (with nickname Kurdish Fox). Another one organizing these crimes belongs to the group called Bandidos ."

"No, this cannot go on Turkey!"

"On the one side, Turkey claims to be fighting terrorism and requests that people who are in Sweden because of their political opinions be returned to Turkey. On the other side, the country is rejecting to return to Sweden criminals of grave offenses, people who risk the security and the future generations in Sweden. 

"No, this cannot go on Turkey! It is time to act like a serious state. Return the "Kurdish Fox" and the other criminal people from Turkey to Sweden." 

The signatories of the call:

Kurdo Baksi, Author
Göran Eriksson, Ex-Chief of Stockholm Workers Education Center (ABF) 
Göran Greider, Author, Dala-Demokraten Gazetesi Baş Redaktörü
Pierre Schori, Ex-Minister responsible for Refugees and UN Ambassador
Olle Svenning, Author

* Vildan Saim Tanrıkulu has translated the call from Swedish to Turkish.

What happened?

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership following the Ukraine-Russia war and both countries handed in their official applications to join NATO in May 2022.

Turkish government objected to these memberships for reasons of "support to terrorism," and "security concerns" and Finland and Sweden held trilateral talks with Turkey.

The three countries signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding on June 28 at the NATO summit in Madrid, and Sweden and Finland tried to overcome the reservations of Turkey in the trilateral talks held.

In September, Sweden lifted restrictions on arms sales to Turkey, which was among Ankara's demands in order to approve the country's NATO bid.

The trilateral talks were interrupted by Turkey after the Quran-burning incidents in Sweden in late January. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said following these incidents that Sweden should not expect Turkey to approve its NATO bid.

The talks resumed on March 9.

Turkey ratified Finland's NATO membership with the law published in the Official Gazette on April 1 and Finland became a member of NATO on April 4, 2023.

Turkey is requesting that Sweden should repatriate some of its citizens, and Sweden decided to return M.K. to Turkey on June 12. (NT/PE)