A group of Swedish writers and activists called on the Turkish government to extradite criminals who they believe live in luxury in Turkey.
The call, published in one of Sweden’s major newspapers Aftonbladet on Wednesday, comes as a response to the Turkish government’s demand that Sweden extradite numerous dissidents, including asylum seekers and Swedish citizens, in order to ratify the Nordic country’s NATO bid.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said repeatedly that Sweden needs to “combat terrorism seriously”, accusing it of leniency.
In the light of Erdoğan’s demands, signatories of the call question Turkey’s refusal to extradite to Sweden crime boss Rawa Majid, “one of the most threatening figures to Sweden’s security”.
The man known as the “Kurdish Fox” was captured in Turkey in April 2022 while he was wanted with a red notice as a drug trafficker. Journalist Timur Soykan previously revealed that Majid’s father was an Iraqi Kurd and an opponent of Saddam Hussein, and his codename “Kurdish Fox” was discovered in messages seized by European police.
Majid recently made headlines in Swedish media for his alleged responsibility in armed attacks and bombings in the vicinity of Stockholm, as well as several murders. In one of the attacks at a restaurant, a 15-year-old was killed. Young people associated with the mobster have been increasingly involved with shootings and murders in the relatively calm Nordic country.
Turkey refused to extradite the man, who holds Turkish citizenship.
There are several other criminals active in Sweden who currently enjoy a life of luxury in Turkey, having taken advantage of a scheme that allows foreigners to obtain Turkish citizenship via an investment of €400,000 in real estate.
Signatories called on Turkey to start “acting like a serious state” and asked Sweden’s Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer why he has not addressed Ankara’s “concerning behaviour supporting organised crime”.
