Members of the Swedish parliament debated the country’s annual Foreign Affairs declaration under the supervision of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anna Lindh.

During the debate, Håkan Svennelig, a deputy and the foreign policy spokesperson of the Swedish Left Party, said that the government should toughen its stance on Turkey, stating, “Opposition deputies are put into prison in Turkey and the Turkish army attacks Kurdish cities. Despite the aggressive stance of the Turkish military, Sweden and the EU spent money for “unsustainable refugee camps” and regard the Erdogan regime as a future EU member. The Swedish government and the EU have not taken a hard line with Turkey.”

DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK

“Democracy is completely undermined in Turkey. The country's third largest party, the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), is now facing a closure case launched by the Erdogan regime. In the case, the so-called Kobanê Trial, 108 politicians are accused of calling upon citizens to demonstrate against the ISIS onslaught on the Kurdish city of Kobanê in 2014. The Erdogan regime wants to shut down the HDP by subjecting prominent politicians to lawsuits in defiance of democratic principles,” Svennelig remarked.

Despite the crackdown against opposition groups, Turkey continues to receive money from the EU for accession negotiations, Svennelig noted, and stressed that Sweden should demand the suspension of EU membership negotiations if Turkey closes the HDP.

NATO MEMBER TURKEY ATTACKS KURDISTAN

“The Turkish government not only undermines civil society, but also carries out military attacks against the Kurdish population and regions. At the beginning of February this year, the Turkish army carried out airstrikes on the Kurdish areas of Syria and northern Iraq. It bombed civilian settlements and refugee camps, destroying infrastructure in an already war-torn region where the Kurdish groups are fighting ISIS,” the Swedish parliamentarian said.

Svennelig pointed out that Turkey's aggression is related to its NATO membership. “Turkey is carrying out these military attacks as a member of the Council of Europe, an organization which champions democracy and human rights. Turkey is carrying out attacks as a member of the NATO military alliance without being questioned and often with weapons exported from other NATO countries. This is another good argument as to why Sweden should not be a part of the NATO military alliance,” Svennelig concluded.