Turkey's president had a diplomatic field day this week as Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson assured his Turkish hosts during a two-day charm offensive in Ankara that he was determined to assist Turkey in its fight against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Kristersson’s body language during a joint news conference with the Turkish President oozed reverence as he smiled nervously before the cameras.
None of this was enough to convince Erdogan that Sweden had done all of its homework, as I reported. Swedish media ripped into Kristersson for his “capitulation” while members of the country’s ethnic Kurdish community screamed betrayal. You can tune into my podcast with one of Sweden’s top Turkey experts, Paul Levin, for more background on this story.
