STOCKHOLM

Feeling the heat over Sweden's support for a terrorist group based near Türkiye's borders, the country's opposition has proposed cutting ties with a deputy who supports the terrorist YPG/PKK.

The country's NATO membership bid faces an uncertain future due to Sweden's attitude, as Türkiye says Stockholm must take a clear stand against all terror groups before it could gain membership. Türkiye, a NATO member for 70 years, has a veto over any new members, as any expansion of the alliance must be agreed to unanimously.

On a public affairs program, Ebba Busch, the leader of the Swedish Christian Democrats Party, urged Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to cut ties with independent Deputy Amineh Kakabaveh, who is a supporter of the terrorist YPG/PKK, a terrorist group based around Türkiye's borders.

Kakabaveh took the country's security and NATO membership bid hostage, Busch argued.

Andersson said she would seriously consider the proposal.

NATO bids blocked by terrorist support

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month – 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 the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.

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

Terrorist group supporter uses no-confidence vote as blackmail

Speaking to a Swedish public broadcaster on June 2, Kakabaveh said the government should not agree to Türkiye's demands to stop supporting terrorists to get NATO membership

Frustrated that the government did not do as she demanded, Kakabaveh told Dagens Nyheter daily that she was preparing to vote against Morgan Johansson, the justice and interior minister, in a no-confidence vote set for Tuesday that could end the government.

Andersson has said she would step down if Johansson does not survive the vote.

Michael Sahlin, the former Swedish ambassador to Türkiye, said that Sweden's international security should not depend on Kakabaveh, stressing that the country should consider its own interests.

Kakabaveh's threat was roundly criticized on social media.

On June 2, right-wing parties in parliament submitted a no-confidence motion on Johansson over his handling of gang crime.

Agreement between Social Democratic Party, Kakabaveh to support terror group

Last November, Andersson was proposed by departing Premier Stefan Lofven to fill her post.

Andersson needed 175 out of 349 parliamentary deputies to form a government and was elected premier on Nov. 24 by one vote, including Kakabaveh's.

In return for this vote, an agreement was signed between the ruling Social Democratic Party and Kakabaveh to support the YPG/PKK.

Some analysts see Kakabaveh's vote as decisive in Tuesday's no-confidence motion.