NATO hopeful Sweden charges man with attempting to extort money for group outlawed in Turkey

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Swedish prosecutors have charged a Turkish man with attempted extortion, a weapons offense and attempted terrorist financing on behalf of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Swedish media noted it was the first time that someone in Sweden was prosecuted for alleged terrorist financing of the party. Also known as PKK, it has waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey since 1984 and is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Turkey has refused to approve Sweden’s request to join NATO, accusing the Swedish government of not doing enough to crack down on PKK members. The military alliance wants to admit Sweden before a NATO summit next month in Vilnius, Lithuania.