Swedish premier says NATO accession talks may take 1 year

By Atilla Altuntas

STOCKHOLM (AA) - Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said Wednesday that talks on Sweden's NATO membership could take one year.

Andersson, who was in Madrid as part of a NATO Leaders' Summit, told reporters that said she is looking forward to Wednesday’s meeting and progress on the process.

Regarding news in Turkish media about the extradition of 33 people from Sweden and Finland to Ankara, she said she does not know if a case has been brought and Sweden will deal with it as part of the law.

Andersson said Swedes cannot be deported and noted in a meeting with Türkiye, that Sweden said it will comply with international law and those who are not terrorists do not need to worry.

Meanwhile, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde underscored to the Aftonbladet newspaper that Sweden takes Türkiye's concerns about terrorist attacks seriously and the government has agreed that Sweden and Finland will not support the PYD, YPG, and FETO terror groups.

Linde cited an agreement that ended between independent deputy Amineh Kakabaveh, who is a supporter of the YPG/PKK terror group, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

"The agreement between Kakabaveh and the Social Democratic Party was until the Parliament was closed, and this agreement ended because the Parliament was closed."

- Deal between SDP and Kakabaveh

Andersson was nominated in 2021 for the premiership by former Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who had resigned.

In need of 175 of 349 lawmakers to form a government, Andersson was only one vote shy, and Kakabaveh's ballot secured her position, ensuring her role as premier on Nov. 24, 2021.

But in exchange for the vote, Kakabaveh and the SDP reached a deal to support the PKK/YPG.

Sweden is under pressure from Türkiye to end its support for the PKK/YPG terror group if it wants to join NATO, with Ankara saying the bloc is a security alliance and that any potential members must take a clear stance against terrorism.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terror organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK terror group's Syrian offshoot.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Ankara