Sweden extradited Kurdish refugee Mahmut Tat to Turkey as Ankara continues to pressure the Nordic country to meet demands in exchange for NATO membership.
Tat is among dozens of people wanted by Turkey on terrorism-related charges, according to Turkish state media.
Sweden and Finland have submitted bids to join NATO after Russia launched a major military offensive against Ukraine in February.
Both Scandinavian countries were already close NATO partners, but membership would win the support of the 30 member states if they were attacked by their enemy, Russia or any other country.
The military alliance makes its decisions by consensus, meaning both countries seek the blessing of all 30 countries. Only Turkey refused to vote “yes”.
Sweden and Finland signed an agreement with Turkey in June, accepting most of the country’s demands in exchange for NATO membership.
This includes the extradition of several people wanted in the Turkish state on terrorism-related charges, including many Kurds.
Tata, a bus driver in the Turkish Kurdish town of Dersim, sought asylum in Sweden in 2015 after being sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison for alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). His name is among those wanted by Ankara.
