The man claims that he was convicted unfairly.
Sweden agreed to extradite a wanted man to Turkey for credit card fraud. This was the first step by Sweden, after Ankara demanded the extradition of dozens of people whom Turkey accuses of terrorism as a “payment” for agreeing to so that Stockholm becomes a member of NATO, writes the FT.< /p>
The Swedish government has agreed to extradite a Turkish citizen who was convicted of fraud in Turkey, the Ministry of Justice in Stockholm said.
Sweden's bid to join the alliance alongside Finland has been hit by opposition from Turkey, whose president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has demanded Stockholm extradite 73 people Ankara accuses of terrorism. All NATO members, including Turkey, must agree to other countries joining.
According to Swedish national broadcaster SVT, the person Sweden has agreed to extradite is a 35-year-old man whose name appears on the list.
The man was sentenced in Turkey to 14 years in prison for credit card fraud in 2013 and 2016, according to Sweden's Ministry of Justice. He claimed in court that he was convicted unfairly.
Sweden's Minister of Justice Morgan Johansson said that “this is a normal, routine matter”. there is no extradition,” Johansson noted.
The ministry refused to say whether the man's name was on the “Turkish list,” but emphasized that the case had been pending for more than a year, and therefore preceded Sweden's application in NATO.
Read also: Turkey accused Sweden and Finland of failing to fulfill their commitment to join NATO
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Recall that Sweden and Finland announced their intention to join NATO in May, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused a sudden shift in attitudes toward joining the bloc. On June 29, the Alliance officially started the process of accepting both countries. The opponent of countries joining the Alliance is Turkey.
