Critical meeting in Ankara canceled! The plane carrying Swedish ministers turned back before reaching Turkey.

The flight of Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and Justice Minister Gunnar Strummer to Ankara had to return due to a technical malfunction. Efforts have been initiated to determine the new date of the meeting.

PLANE RETURNS TO SWEDEN DUE TO TECHNICAL MALFUNCTION

Richard Wahlström, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the plane carrying the Foreign and Justice Ministers had to return due to a technical malfunction. Wahlström stated that it was a security precaution due to a technical malfunction and did not pose an immediate danger to passengers or crew. The meeting in Ankara, where many important issues, including cooperation against terrorism and organized crime, were to be discussed, was eagerly awaited. Efforts have begun to schedule a new meeting date as soon as possible.

MEETING IN ANKARA CANCELLED

The Security Mechanism Meeting at the ministerial level between Turkey and Sweden was scheduled to take place in Ankara today. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Swedish counterpart Maria Malmer Stenergard were to chair the meeting, which would also be attended by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and Swedish Justice Minister Strummer. The Security Mechanism Meeting, which was to be held for the first time, was of special importance in terms of enhancing cooperation in the fight against terrorism between the institutions of the two countries.

TRILATERAL AGREEMENT

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership on May 18, 2022, and a Trilateral Agreement was signed between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland during the NATO Madrid Summit held on June 28, 2022, covering the commitments of these countries in the fight against terrorism and defense industry fields.

Within the framework of the Trilateral Agreement, Sweden and Finland made commitments regarding the strengthening of counter-terrorism legislation, prevention of the activities of the PKK and its affiliates in these countries, non-support for FETÖ and PYD/YPG, expeditious processing of Turkey's requests for extradition and deportation related to terrorism, prevention/prohibition of propaganda, financing, and recruitment activities of terrorist organizations, and lifting of restrictions on defense industry exports to Turkey.

ANTI-TERRORISM LAW IN SWEDEN CAME INTO EFFECT

In this context, the new Anti-Terrorism Law came into effect in Sweden on July 1, 2022. In addition, changes were made to the constitution to restrict freedom of organization in case of "engagement with a terrorist organization" and "support for a terrorist organization". Along with the constitutional amendments, the updated Anti-Terrorism Law was put into effect on June 1, 2023, and participation in a terrorist organization was made a criminal offense under this law. Sweden appointed a Liaison Prosecutor to ensure coordination in cases and issues related to Turkey, and the bank account of the so-called "Kurdish Red Crescent" formation, which is one of the main sources of financing for the PKK in Sweden, was closed.

Prior to the Trilateral Agreement, representatives of the PKK/PYD/YPG/SDG were able to meet with ministers even at the ministerial level in Sweden and had frequent contacts and visits, while the Swedish government announced that it would distance itself from the PYD/YPG with reference to its connection to the PKK. Legal proceedings were also initiated against some PKK members in Sweden, and the annual assessment reports published by Swedish security institutions in February 2024 referred to the financing and propaganda activities of the PKK.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Sweden, with Sweden being Turkey's largest trading partner among the Nordic countries. The trade volume between the two countries was recorded as 4.1 billion dollars in 2023, and increasing the trade volume to 5 billion dollars is a common goal for Turkey and Sweden. The dialogue process gained momentum following Sweden's application for NATO membership on May 18, 2022, and this country joined NATO as the 32nd ally on March 7, 2024. During this process, cooperation titles to be developed included the fight against terrorism and defense industry. Sweden lifted embargoes on defense industry exports to Turkey.