Sweden’s Justice Minister Morgan Johannson escaped a no-confidence vote Tuesday by one vote from a Kurdish MP who agreed to a prior deal to support Kurdish self-government, a deal that could see Turkey veto Sweden’s NATO application.
Swedish Justice Minister Morgan Johansson survived his confidence vote in the Swedish parliament thanks to the vote of Amineh Kakabaveh, an independent MP of Iranian and Kurdish descent who struck a deal with the ruling Socialist party that they would support Kurdish independence in the Middle East in return for her vote.
Now, some are accusing Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of putting her party before her country as Kurdish issues are a major problem for Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has threatened to veto Sweden’s application to join the NATO alliance. After centuries of neutrality, joining NATO has suddenly become a cause of support in Sweden this year over Russia’s aggressive stance towards neighbouring states.
Sweden’s independent deputy Amineh Kakabaveh, a supporter of the PKK (listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and the EU), and the YPG (which Turkiye regards as a terror group), speaks to press as the voting for the motion of no confidence continues at the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, Sweden on June 07, 2022. (Photo:Atila Altuntas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In an editorial published Tuesday, the editorial board of Sweden’s Expressen newspaper slammed Prime Minister Andersson writing, “But instead of pawing cautiously, the Social Democrats choose to repeat the foreign policy concessions to Amineh Kakabaveh and thus in practice jeopardize Sweden’s NATO application. This time, it is not even to secure government power – but to defend a controversial justice minister.”
Kakabaveh is also said to have sought promises from the Swedish government not to lift an arms embargo on Turkey, which the Turkish government has demanded be lifted in order for it to approve Sweden’s NATO application. As a NATO member Turkey — just as all members do — has an absolute veto over any would-be new members.
Last month, the Turkish government released a list of five demands for the country to agree to allow Sweden and Finland to successfully apply to join NATO, with most of the issues concerning Sweden in particular.
Turkey claimed that the funding Sweden gave to the YPG militia group, which is associated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror group, was also funnelling into the PKK itself and Turkey demanded Sweden stop sending aid to the YPG.
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