Ahead of NATO talks with Turkey
Sweden proposes tougher anti-terror law
03/09/2023, 3:00 p.m
After a long standstill, Sweden and Finland are again negotiating with Turkey about their intended NATO membership. The government in Stockholm is presenting stricter anti-terror laws in advance – and thus fulfilling a demand from Ankara.
Just in time for the resumption of NATO talks with Turkey, Sweden has presented a proposal for tougher anti-terror laws. According to government plans, taking part in a terrorist organization or financing such a participation will be punishable in future. Violations are punishable by several years in prison, according to the draft published in the morning. This should close a legal loophole, it said. Now it is Parliament’s turn. The changes are to come into force on June 1st.
A tightening has been worked on for years – but the fact that the draft is now coming is seen as a sign in the NATO dispute with Turkey. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied to join the Western Defense Alliance. However, Turkey blocks this. She accuses Sweden of taking insufficient action against “terrorist organizations”. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the tightening as a very important step in fulfilling the commitments that Sweden made in an agreement with Turkey and Finland at the end of June.
Blockade after Koran burning
This agreement was supposed to pave the way to NATO – so far without success. In order to solve the blockade, there were several talks between the three countries. Turkey suspended negotiations after right-wing extremists burned a Koran in Stockholm in January. At a meeting in Brussels, the thread of the conversation should now be picked up again. However, a breakthrough is not expected at the meeting of high-ranking government officials.
Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO countries that have not yet approved the northern enlargement requested after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the meantime, however, Hungary has given Finland and Sweden the prospect of ratifying the accession acts.