Sweden gives green light to Türkiye's request

Thụy Điển 'bật đèn xanh' với một yêu cầu từ Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ, Ankara muốn thấy điều này từ Stockholm. (Nguồn: SHutter stock)

Fulfilling the extradition requests is one of the main conditions for Türkiye to ratify Sweden's accession to NATO. (Source: Shutter stock)

A statement from the Swedish Ministry of Justice stated that the country has agreed to the request to extradite Turkish citizen Omer Altun, 29 years old, who was sentenced by Ankara to 15 years in prison in 2022.

AFP (France) quoted a copy of the decision, dated March 30, after the Swedish Supreme Court "gave the green light" for the extradition. According to the announcement of the above ministry, the government agrees with the Supreme Court's assessment and there is no obstacle to the extradition of Omer Altun to Turkey.

However, the Swedish government refused to extradite one of its citizens, Mehmet Zakir Karayel, 51. Ankara suspects that he is a member of an armed terrorist organization.

The Swedish Ministry of Justice stated that the country's laws do not allow the extradition of its citizens.

Fulfilling the extradition requests is one of the main conditions for Ankara to ratify Sweden's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Türkiye believes that Sweden is a haven for dozens of people it suspects of being involved in the failed 2016 coup attempt and the Kurdish movement in the country. This is the reason Türkiye has delayed approving Stockholm's accession to NATO.

In a related development, at a meeting with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on the same day, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stated that Ankara hopes Sweden will fulfill its commitments as soon as possible in its efforts to join NATO.

Turkish officials cited Finland's recent approval to join NATO as showing Ankara's support for expanding the military alliance.

In 2022, Sweden and Finland ended their decades-long policy of military non-alignment and decided to apply to join NATO.

The two Nordic countries' applications were approved at the NATO Summit in June 2022 and must be ratified by all alliance member states to become full members.

While Finland officially joined the bloc on April 4, Sweden's application has yet to be ratified by Türkiye and Hungary.