The Turkish President is using Finland's and Sweden's desire to join NATO as a means of pressure to demand the extradition of suspected terrorists. The Supreme Court in Stockholm puts a stop to it: a journalist who is said to have insulted Erdogan may not be deported.
The Supreme Court in Sweden has rejected the extradition of journalist Bülent Kenes demanded by Turkey. Because of his political beliefs, there is a risk of persecution in Turkey, according to a statement by Judge Petter Asp.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had personally called for the journalist's extradition, citing this as a condition of his approval of Sweden's entry into NATO. The Turkish authorities have accused the former editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Today's Zaman" of being a member of the Gülen movement and of having been involved in the failed coup attempt in 2016.
In its decision, however, the highest Swedish court confirmed the journalist's status as a refugee. The accusations made by the Turkish side, as well as membership in the movement of the preacher Fethullah Gülen, did not allow them to be considered sufficient grounds for extradition. The court's assessment means that the Swedish government, which ultimately decides on such issues, has no way of approving the extradition request.
In a first reaction, Kenes expressed relief. He accused the Erdogan government of fabricating the allegations against him. "I'm a journalist and not a terrorist," he said. It is obvious that Ankara wants to make his life as difficult as possible. According to the Swedish news agency TT, Kenes was also given a suspended prison sentence seven years ago for allegedly denigrating Erdogan on Twitter.
Besides Hungary, Turkey is the only country that has so far prevented Sweden and Finland from joining NATO. The two Nordic countries had applied to join the western military alliance in the face of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
During a visit to Ankara in early November, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson promised to respond in principle to Turkey's extradition demands, which affect dozens of people. The extradition of opposition figures and Kurdish activists who have taken refuge in Sweden is one of the most sensitive issues in the NATO-joining effort.
