Turkey demands extradition of former Kurdish militia member living in Sweden

Malcolm Brabant:

I’m on a long, slow drive-through some of the world’s most tranquil countryside to hear a human story behind one of Europe’s most burning geopolitical issues. We’re on the road to Northern Sweden, close to the Arctic Circle.

Sweden’s military status is on the verge of changing dramatically. After 200 years of neutrality and avoiding conflict. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed Sweden into joining NATO, but its accession is in the balance because of a small group of people on Turkey’s most wanted list.

We’re heading north to meet one of those people whose fate could determine whether Turkey uses its veto to block Sweden’s ambitions.

Derdiye Yul is 41 years old and pregnant with her fourth child. Exiled Kurdish leaders say, of all the people that Turkey demands be extradited, Yul is the most vulnerable. She fled here in 2015 to claim political asylum. The process is in the balance because the Swedes won’t accept her documentation.