Turkey on Thursday denounced an incendiary video produced by a Kurdish group in Sweden, displaying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan being hanged and calling him a "dictator".
Sweden's ambassador to Turkey was summoned by the Ministry of International Affairs, a diplomatic supply instructed AFP.
The incident comes amid a long-running diplomatic tussle between Turkey and Sweden, in addition to Finland, over their NATO membership.
Ankara has blocked Stockholm's entry into the western navy alliance since Might, accusing it of harbouring members of the PKK, a Kurdish militia that has waged a decades-long violent battle for independence towards the Turkish state.
Turkey considers the PKK a terrorist group.
The video reveals the execution of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1945, then a model which may vaguely signify Erdogan hanging from the top of a rope.
“Historical past has proven that that is how dictators find yourself”, reads the video, which was printed on Twitter by the Committee of Rojava (the identify of the Kurdish territories in northern Syria).
"It is time for Erdogan to resign earlier than he finally ends up hanged in Taksim", referring to the principle sq. within the Turkish capital, Istanbul.
Turkey's Ministry of International Affairs described the video as "a transparent violation of Sweden's guarantees beneath the memorandum of understanding [signed between the countries in June]. "We demand that any such terrorist motion is now not allowed."
Ankara mentioned the authors of the video needs to be "recognized and located... [so] that the mandatory measures [can] be taken," it added.
Kurdish activists and rights teams have warned towards Sweden agreeing to Turkey's political calls for, together with extraditing Kurds and critics of the Turkish president.
"While you present an autocratic regime that you just’re prepared to vary your legal guidelines and infringe upon the rights of your folks on their behalf, that regime will preserve asking for extra," tweeted Meghan Bodette, Director of Analysis on the Kurdish Peace Organisation, on Sunday.
"That is the one potential end result while you make concessions to leaders like Erdogan," she added.
In line with Fahrettin Altun, a spokesman for the Turkish president, "that the PKK defies the Swedish authorities within the coronary heart of Stockholm proves that they haven't taken the mandatory measures towards terrorism, opposite to what they assured just lately"
"Sweden should preserve its guarantees," he insisted in a collection of messages on Twitter.
At current, Altun warned that "it could be futile to anticipate Turkey to make concessions", noting that his nation had been "a member of NATO for 70 years".
Below NATO guidelines, all members should agree earlier than a brand new one might be admitted.
Writing on Twitter, Swedish International Minister Tobias Billstrom condemned the video, although this didn't seem to fulfill Turkey.
Stockholm helps "an open debate on political decisions", however "strongly repudiates threats and hatred towards political representatives", he wrote.
Since making use of to affix NATO in Might, Sweden has tried to fulfill Turkey's calls for.
As quickly as he grew to become Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson went to Ankara, adopted by his overseas minister, and Sweden toughened its anti-terrorism legal guidelines.
In early December, Sweden deported a PKK member to Turkey. However the Turkish authorities continues to demand extra.
Final weekend, Kristersson mentioned Turkey has calls for Sweden couldn't -- and didn't -- need to meet.
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