Sweden may not get Turkey's support to become a NATO member since a protester was allowed to burn a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
“It is clear that those who allowed such vileness to take place in front of our embassy can no longer expect any charity from us regarding their NATO membership application,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday.
Erdoğan threw cold water on NATO’s expansion in the wake of weekend protests in the Swedish capital by an anti-Islam activist and pro-Kurdish groups.
He called the Quran burning protest by Rasmus Paludan, a Danish right-wing provocateur, an insult to Muslims – and lashed out at Swedish authorities for allowing it to occur while protected by security forces.
“It is clear that those who allowed such vileness to take place in front of our embassy can no longer expect any charity from us regarding their NATO membership application,” Erdoğan said.
Unless the Swedes starts to show some respect for Turkish people or Muslims, he added, “they won’t see any support from us on the NATO issue.”
In May, NATO officials welcomed the decisions by Finland and Sweden to seek membership in the military alliance due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
#Sweden🇸🇪🇪🇺 The International Human Rights Foundation (#IHRF) strongly condemns the public destruction of a copy of the Holy Koran by a far-right extremist in front of the Turkish embassy in Sweden. Promoting religious hatred is not a legitimate form of free speech. #Islamophobia pic.twitter.com/ulMaJ0p02x
— International Human Rights Foundation (@Declaracion) January 21, 2023
Legal, but 'not necessarily appropriate'
Sweden allows such provocative protests in the name of free speech protections, despite the rioting it has caused.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy," Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in defending the right to protest while condemning the Quran burning.
"But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate," he said. "Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm."
Nationalist groups in Istanbul protested outside the Swedish consulate over the weekend, urging the Scandinavian nation's NATO membership bid be blocked.
Unanimous agreement is needed for NATO to accept a new member.
NATO member Turkey has previously voiced concerns about Finland and Sweden joining the military alliance, saying the two countries back Kurdish militants that fought Turkey's government for decades.
