Monitoring Desk
ANKARA: Turkiye has condemned burning of a copy of the holy Quran during a protest demonstration in Sweden, describing it as a “vile act.”
Turkiye said the Swedish government’s decision to allow the protest was “completely unacceptable.”
It comes amid increasing diplomatic tension between Turkiye and Sweden.
Turkiye, who had appealed to Sweden to stop the protest demonstration, earlier called off a visit to Sweden’s Defence Minister, Pal Jonson. It said the visit had “lost its importance and meaning.”
It was hoped the visit could dispel Ankara’s objections to Sweden’s joining the NATO military alliance. Turkiye has so far held up both Finland and Sweden’s NATO applications.
Diplomatic ties between Turkiye and Sweden
Turkiye wants political concessions, which include the deportation of Kurds, that it claims are terrorists and critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkiye is already a NATO member, which means it can block another state from joining the alliance. Finland and Sweden both applied to join the NATO alliance after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Read Also: Turkiye Cancels Sweden Defence Minister’s Visit
Last week, protest demonstrators in Stockholm hung an effigy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from a lamppost in what the Prime Minister of Sweden said was an effort to sabotage the country’s NATO application.
