Turkey summoned Sweden’s ambassador after puppet protest in Stockholm | News

The doll was handed up outside Stockholm’s city hall on Thursday morning by the Rojava Committees. On Twitter, they published a video of the doll being hung up by its feet and wrote:

“History shows how dictators often end, so for everyone’s sake Erdogan: Now take the chance and resign, so you don’t end up upside down in Taksim Square!”

The Rojava Committees themselves call themselves “a network for solidarity and exchange with the revolutionary movement throughout Kurdistan”. The clip quickly spread to several Turkish media, where the network is painted as supporters of the PKK, which has been branded a terrorist by the EU and Sweden, among others, and the YPG, which Sweden has distanced itself from.

During the afternoon, the Swedish ambassador in Ankara, Staffan Herrström, was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be confronted with the incident, which Turkey calls “terrorist propaganda”, reports the state news agency AA.

Condemned

They must have been informed that the act is strongly condemned, and that similar events are requested to be banned because they are contrary to Sweden’s agreement with Turkey. They also demand that the perpetrators be identified and that the necessary measures be taken.

https://twitter.com/realrojkom/status/1613215767767486466

The clip had time to circulate freely in the Turkish media before it was noticed in Sweden. After hearing from several Turkish media, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) chooses to comment on the incident, Dagens Nyheter reports. He writes that the government cherishes an open debate – but despite that strongly distances itself from threats and hatred against political representatives.

But despite the government’s distancing, the incident continues to be criticized from the Turkish side. Fahrettin Altun, one of Erdogan’s closest men and spokesperson, shares the clip on his Twitter and demands that Sweden keep what they promised to Turkey in order to join NATO.

“That PKK terrorists can challenge the Swedish government in the heart of Stockholm is proof that Swedish authorities have not taken the necessary steps against terrorism, as they have claimed lately” writes Altun.

Correction: In an earlier version, the PKK and YPG were lumped together as a terrorist organization. The truth is that the PKK is labeled a terrorist by the EU, and thereby Sweden. The YPG is not. However, the government has distanced itself from the YPG.

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