Will Sweden hand over dissident author to Turkey to become a NATO member?

Ragıp Zarakolu at the 29th Geneva International Book Fair

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Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asks for the extradition of the political refugees in Sweden to approve Sweden's NATO membership.

According to the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA),"Turkey demands the extradition of over 30 people from the two countries."

Diplomats from Sweden and Finland are planning to come to Turkey next week to talk about Turkey's objections.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg defined Turkey as a 'valuable ally' and wrote: "Turkey's security concerns should be addressed."

As Erdoğan insisted on his demands and said: "They should not bother to come," regarding the visit by the diplomats to Ankara; the political exiles from Turkey came to the agenda in Sweden.

CLICK - Erdoğan insists Turkey will not approve Sweden and Finland joining NATO

The questions about whether Stockholm will hand over the political exiles, started to be asked in the country.

Erik Wiman from one of the two independent high circulation evening newspapers in the country, Expressen, interviewed the political exiles in Sweden.

The interview titled "Turkey wants Zarakolu for approving Sweeden's NATO membership" reveals the difficult situation of the political exiles in Sweden.

"I might face torture in Turkey"

Writer and publisher Ragıp Zarakolu, who was arrested in October 2011 on a charge of "aiding and abetting a terrorist organization" and released in April 2012, has been facing a prison sentence of five to 15 years in Turkey.

The reason for the charge brought against Zarakolu was the statement that he made at the opening of the Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP) Politics Academy.

Zarakolu has been living in Sweden since December 2013.

"I believe that Stockholm will stick to the principles and will not help Erdoğan to gain power for domestic policies," Zarakolu said to Wiman.

In October 2018, the Ministry of Justice put the court's Interpol decision into force. Turkey applied to the government of Sweden and requested the extradition of Zarakolu.

On December 18, 2019, the High Court of Sweden handed down its final ruling and rejected Turkey's request for Zarakolu's extradition.

"I did not commit any crime that I am accused of. But I defended human rights and minority's rights" said Zarakolu, who had been kept in a high-security prison in Turkey for five months before he fled to Sweden.

In September 2019, the prosecutor's office in Sweden found the request of Turkey inadmissible and demanded the rejection of Turkey's request.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) also ruled that the right to liberty and security and freedom of expression of writer Ragıp Zarakolu have been violated.

CLICK: ECtHR ruling on writer Ragıp Zarakolu

"They will use us for their political interests"

Another political exile in Sweden to whom Wiman interviewed but remained anonymous because of security concerns stated the following:

"My name has a big symbolic importance for Erdoğan. If I will be extradited to Turkey, I am a hundred percent sure that I will be tortured."

Another interviewee who has been sentenced to life imprisonment three times said:

"Unfortunately, I believe that it is a possibility that I might be used for their political interests, I will follow the advice that it would be better not to reveal my identity."

Many do not think that Turkey will eventually prevent Sweden and Finland from joining NATO. However, political refugees fear that this could prolong the application process for them.

Continuing the struggle in Sweden, an anonymous TV broadcaster and author said:

"I have always been in favor of Sweden's NATO membership but I never thought I would be an object of the process." (AEK/TB)