The spokesperson and MP of the Left Party, Håkan Svenneling, expressed his dissatisfaction with the recent policies of the new Swedish government and the blackmail of Turkey, reported Hawar News Agency.

A delegation from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) launched a visit to the Left Party in Sweden and held a meeting with the Foreign Affairs spokesperson Håkan Svenneling, on 10 November.

The AANES delegation members and Svenneling discussed the new government’s modified approach towards Kurdish forces in north and east Syria; Sweden and Finland’s bids for NATO membership and recent relations with the Turkish state.

Saying they understand the Swedish bid for NATO membership, the delegation stated that Sweden must not progress its bid at the expense of the Kurdish people who struggled against ISIS and had lots of sacrifices for democracy and peace in the region.

Regarding the recent position of the newly elected government, Håkan Svenneling said that he will work with other parties to reverse the decision of the new government before it is discussed in the parliament.

Svenneling also noted that he will continue to support the Autonomous Administration and the Kurdish people, mentioning that he took a clear and opposing stance to the trilateral memorandum signed at the NATO summit in Madrid.

Following Sweden’s and Finland’s bid for NATO membership, Turkey had demanded the two Nordic countries comply with its demands related to groups it deems terrorist organisations before it accepts the bids.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, on 4 November, said Sweden would distance itself from Syrian Kurdish groups over alleged links to the PKK.

Afterwards, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on 8 November and promised to comply with Turkish demands including extraditing activists, in return for the approval of Sweden’s NATO membership bid.