Sweden to Strengthen Anti-Terror Law as Required by Turkey for NATO Bid

Barely a week ago, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson vowed that his country will take “big steps” that will give its legal authorities “more muscle to fight terrorism”. Experts have stressed that the new legislation would make it easier to prosecute members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and other organizations blacklisted by Ankara.

Sweden's parliament has forced through a constitutional amendment that will make it possible to pass tougher anti-terror laws, which has been demanded by Turkey if it is to approve Stockholm's bid to join NATO.

The amendment, passed with an overwhelming majority - with only the Left Party opposing - makes it possible to introduce new laws to “limit freedom of association when it comes to organizations that engage in terrorism or support it”.

According to the parliament's own standing constitutional committee, which recommended that MPs greenlight the proposal, it will enable “wider criminalization of participation in a terrorist organization or a ban against terrorist organization”.

During his recent charm offensive in Ankara last week, which many experts perceived as an attempt to bridge the gap between Stockholm and the Turkish capital, Sweden's new Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the constitutional amendment as a major step.

At a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kristersson vowed that Sweden will take “big steps” by the end of the year and next year the country’s legal authorities will have “more muscle to fight terrorism”. Changes will come into force on 1 January.

Months after the Ukrainian conflict began, Sweden and Finland abandoned their long-held policy of non-alignment and applied to NATO, claiming that the security situation had changed. However, Turkey has blocked both nations' bid to join the military alliance, accusing Stockholm in particular of being a “haven for terrorists”. Experts have already stressed that the new legislation would make it easier to prosecute members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), blacklisted by Ankara and most of its western allies.

In an attempt to mollify Ankara, Sweden and Finland earlier this year already lifted the ban on arms exports to Turkey they had introduced over Ankara’s engagement in Syria against Kurdish militias. The new Swedish government also distanced itself from the YPG and PYD — Kurdish organizations Sweden had previously supported. Most significantly, Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said the two organizations were “dubious” and their ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were “too close” - remarks that were praised by Ankara.

The two Nordic countries’ NATO bid marked a conclusion of decades of formal non-alignment, which in recent years existed in name only, as both Sweden and Finland kept creeping closer to the US-led alliance through joint drills, overseas operations and vigorous arms cooperation.