Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden on Monday that it should not expect his support for NATO membership after burning a Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
“Sweden should not expect us to support NATO membership,” Erdogan said in his first official comment on Saturday’s protest, which Swedish police allowed despite Turkish objections.
Right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan burned a Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in the Swedish capital on Saturday.
Sweden’s leaders have condemned this protest, but defend the Swedish concept of freedom of speech.
The protest action organized by Paludan has further complicated Sweden’s efforts to join NATO.
Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May. Turkey has set several conditions that both countries must meet before receiving Ankara’s support.
Turkey has demanded that Sweden extradite dozens of people, mostly Kurds, whom Ankara considers terrorists or complicit in the 2016 coup attempt.
The Swedish police’s decision to allow Paludan to carry out the intended protest action has deeply angered Ankara, and it has canceled the Swedish defense minister’s planned visit to Turkey and summoned the Swedish ambassador.
Erdogan declared that the burning of the Koran was a hate crime that could not be defended, citing freedom of speech.
“It is clear that those who caused such embarrassment in front of our country’s embassy can no longer expect any favors from us regarding their application for NATO membership,” Erdogan said.
