Türkiye demands deeds rather than words on EU accession: Communications director

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye "no longer demand words but rather deeds" from the EU, the country's communications director said on Wednesday.

"The Turkish people have lost faith in the statements of the Europeans as a result of the numerous unfulfilled promises made to Türkiye on EU membership, Cyprus, and fight against terrorism and irregular migration. Therefore, we no longer demand words, but rather deeds," Fahrettin Altun told Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet.

Türkiye "has long been disturbed by the presence of PKK and FETO in Sweden," Altun said. "The PKK, which the European Union designates as a terrorist organization, has martyred Turkish citizens for 40 years. These attacks targeted more than just the security forces. They killed tens of thousands of people, including doctors, teachers, and even babies."

He added: "Likewise, FETO, which attempted a coup in Türkiye in 2016, had infiltrated state institutions over the years."

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Türkiye, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

On Sweden's NATO bid, Altun said: "If we give the green light for Sweden's NATO membership, this means we vow to protect the Swedish people in the event of an attack under Article 5. If we are to assume such a responsibility for Sweden, we need to be firmly convinced that the money collected in your country will not be used to attack Turkish citizens, nor will Swedish weaponry emerge from terrorist shelters in Syria or Iraq."

He also reiterated Türkiye's concerns, saying that it "is whether Sweden's NATO membership will jeopardize the efforts to combat terrorism. We have to ensure that Sweden will uphold the alliance's values and the security of its prospective allies."

Sweden, along with Finland, formally applied to join NATO on May 18, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to their membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terror groups such as the PKK and FETO. The accession requires unanimous approval of all 30 NATO member states.

Altun also assured that "there is no distinction" on Türkiye's rhetoric towards the Swedish government or the public, and stressed that for Türkiye, "the most important thing is the safety of its own citizens."