Jakarta –
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden not to expect Turkish support to join NATO. The warning was issued after the burning of the Koran outside the Ankara embassy in Stockholm occurred.
“Sweden should not expect support from us for NATO,” Erdogan said in his first official response to Saturday’s incident.
The burning of the Koran was carried out by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish right-wing political party Hardline. Paludan, who is also of Swedish nationality, has held several demonstrations in the past, where he burned Korans. The burning of the Koran took place during anti-Turkish demonstrations and Sweden’s bid to join NATO that took place in Stockholm.
Paludan could not be reached by e-mail or email for comment. In the permit he obtained from the police, it said his protest was against Islam and what Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called attempts to influence freedom of expression in Sweden.
Several Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait have condemned the burning of the Koran. “Saudi Arabia calls for spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence, and rejecting hatred and extremism,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but all 30 member states must agree to their offer.
Turkey says Sweden in particular must first take a clearer stance against what it sees as terrorists, especially Kurdish militants and groups blamed for the 2016 coup attempt.
At a demonstration protesting Sweden’s entry into NATO and to show support for the Kurds, the speaker stood in front of a large red banner reading ‘We are all PKK’, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party which is banned in Turkey, Sweden and the United States.
“We will continue to oppose Sweden’s implementation of NATO,” said Thomas Pettersson, spokesman for the Alliance Against NATO and one of the organizers of the demonstration.
Police said the situation was calm at all three demonstrations. In Istanbul, a group of about 200 protesters burned the Swedish flag in front of the Swedish consulate in response to the burning of the Koran.
(deck/deck)
