Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard sparked outrage after publicly using the term “FETO,” a label used by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ankara to brand the faith-based Gülen movement, a worldwide civic initiative, as a terrorist organization, despite Sweden’s not recognizing the group as such, Turkish Minute reported.
During a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Stenergard stated in English: “I have assured Foreign Minister Fidan that I will honor all our commitments from Madrid and Vilnius, including not providing support to the YPG, PYD and the organization described in Turkey as FETO.”
FETÖ is a derogatory acronym used by the government to label the Gülen movement as a terrorist organization. President Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, a faith-based group inspired by late Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, since the corruption investigations of December 17-25, 2013, which implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan, his family members and his inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began to target its members. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 that he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement strongly deny involvement in the abortive putsch or any terrorist activity.
Stenergard’s remarks, aligning with Ankara’s language, have raised concerns over Stockholm’s stance on human rights and whether Sweden has further compromised its principles to maintain diplomatic ties with Turkey.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding whether Stenergard deliberately used the term or whether this reflects a policy shift. The term “FETO” is widely considered a political tool in Turkey, used to justify an ongoing purge against dissidents, journalists and civil society members associated with the Gülen movement.
Sweden’s troubling shift amid NATO negotiations
Sweden’s apparent adoption of Ankara’s rhetoric follows its years-long efforts to secure NATO membership, which required the approval of all member states, including Turkey. In 2022 and 2023 Sweden signed agreements with Turkey in Madrid and Vilnius, committing to counterterrorism measures in exchange for Ankara lifting its veto on Swedish accession. While the details of these commitments remain largely undisclosed, leaked documents accessed by Swedish media have indicated that Stockholm has already altered its immigration policies to accommodate Turkey’s demands.
A 2024 investigation by Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC revealed that Sweden’s Migration Agency has been systematically referring asylum cases involving Gülen movement members to the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) and the Foreign Ministry. Internal communications showed that decisions on asylum applications were delayed or obstructed due to concerns over Sweden’s diplomatic relations with Turkey. Some cases, including those of journalists and activists facing politically motivated charges in Turkey, were flagged for high-level government review.
This development coincided with Erdoğan’s persistent efforts to pressure Sweden into restricting the activities of exiled Turkish dissidents, including members of the Gülen movement and pro-Kurdish groups. Erdoğan has repeatedly labeled these individuals as “terrorists” and demanded their extradition — a request Sweden’s Supreme Court has consistently rejected, citing risks of torture and political persecution.
Hate speech targeting Gülenists has become institutionalized in Turkey. Erdoğan himself has referred to movement members as “viruses,” “leeches” and “terrorists who have no right to life.” The Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) recently documented how hate speech surged in Turkey following Gülen’s death in October 2024, with state media intensifying efforts to dehumanize his followers.
The SCF report, “Dehumanizing a Legacy: How Fethullah Gülen’s Death Triggered a Campaign of Hate Speech in Erdoğan’s Turkey,” found that Turkish state media systematically spread hostile rhetoric to justify the continued persecution of Gülenists. The report warned that such dehumanization has historically led to crimes against humanity, emphasizing that rhetoric like “FETO” is not merely a label but a tool for repression.
International warnings over Turkey’s hate speech
Sweden’s foreign minister’s use of Ankara’s terminology comes despite international warnings over Turkey’s escalating hate speech and its consequences for exiled dissidents.
In 2023, Germany’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador, Mustafa Açıkgöz, after an Erdoğan-aligned lawmaker made inflammatory remarks at a meeting of the far-right Grey Wolves in Neuss, Germany. Açıkgöz declared that supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the “FETÖ [Gülen movement] have no right to live” and should be “destroyed.” The German government issued a rare diplomatic warning to Turkey, stating that hate speech of this nature “has no place in Germany” and could provoke violence against exiled Turkish dissidents.
France banned the Grey Wolves in 2020 after reports of violent threats against Armenian communities. The group, closely aligned with Erdoğan’s nationalist allies, has been responsible for attacks on Gülen-linked institutions and individuals in Europe.
Sweden’s adoption of Erdoğan’s terminology raises fresh concerns that Stockholm may be increasingly aligning with Ankara’s tactics of repression rather than opposing them.
