AFP: Hundreds protest anti-terrorism law in Stockholm

MOSCOW, June 4 – RIA Novosti. Hundreds of people went out in Stockholm to protest the anti-terror law, which was designed by groups close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey and the EU, and aimed at improving relations with Turkey after Sweden’s entry into NATO, the agency reported. . . France Press.

It was recorded that the demonstrators waved the flags of the Kurdish organization as well as the Kurdish organization in the action called “There is no NATO in Sweden, there is no law (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan is in Sweden”, where the demonstration was organized by groups close to the PKK. Banners that read “No NATO”.

One of the rally attendees told the news agency the idea behind the new law was “to allow Sweden to join NATO” after Erdogan tightened the country’s legislation against elements close to the PKK.

The Turkish president has so far blocked Sweden’s NATO membership, accusing Stockholm of being a safe haven for Kurdish activists. At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that Sweden fulfilled all its obligations to join the alliance after meeting with Erdogan in Turkey.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Swedish parliament voted to tighten the country’s anti-terrorism laws, citing a senior official. According to the official, the law, which came into force on 1 June, will, among other things, allow authorities to revoke a person’s residence permit if it is found that a person has been collecting money for the PKK through commercial activities.

Finland and Sweden applied to the NATO Secretary General to join the alliance against the background of the events in Ukraine in May last year. The consent of all its members is required for admission to the Union. At first, Turkey blocked the application process, but on June 29, Turkey, Sweden and Finland signed a security memorandum that took into account all Ankara’s concerns regarding the fight against terrorism and restrictions, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. weapons supply.

Until the beginning of 2023, applications from Sweden and Finland were approved by 28 of the 30 NATO countries, but Hungary and Turkey wanted to consider the Swedish application separately from the Finnish application. On the night of March 31, the approval of Finland’s application to NATO by all members of the alliance was completed. Sweden’s application has not yet received approval from Hungary and Turkey.