Ankara: Suicide bombing that rocked Turkey’s capital on Sunday risks complicating North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s efforts to bring in Sweden as new member.

A Attack was carried out by PKK, Kurdish militant group whose activities in Sweden Turkey says go almost unchecked. Day before bombing, Turkish authorities condemned Sweden for allowing PKK supporters to stage rally in Stockholm against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Erdogan is likely to use PKK’s latest violence in heart of Turkish capital as leverage to press for his demands for Sweden to intensify its crackdown on group’s supporters,” said Nihat Ali Ozcan, strategist at Economic Policy Research Foundation in Ankara.

That would hardly be surprise for Sweden, which applied for NATO membership following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and was then told by Turkey that it had to first suppress PKK’s activities. Turkish leader eventually lifted his veto at meeting of alliance in July, fueling expectations that Turkey’s Parliament would ratify his decision soon after legislature reconvened this month.

Weekend’s attack by PKK, deemed terrorist organisation by both US and European Union, will likely spur Ankara to pose fresh objections to Sweden’s NATO bid.

Erdogan may seek other concessions from Turkey’s western allies, such as reviving membership talks with EU, easing visa restrictions for Turks and acquiring F-16 warplanes from US, Ozcan said.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 03 2023

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