Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sweden should not expect his country to support its bid to join NATO after protests and the burning of the Koran in Stockholm.
This was reported by Anadolu agency.
"Those who committed such indecency in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm should not expect any favor from us regarding their application for NATO membership. If Sweden does not respect Turkey and the religious feelings of Muslims, it will not receive any support from us for NATO membership," Erdogan said.
According to him, the events in Sweden are an insult to everyone who respects basic human rights and freedoms, including the rights and freedoms of Muslims.
- On January 21, the far-right Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan burned the Koran during a rally in Stockholm and gave a speech condemning Islam. In protest, Turkey canceled the visit of the Swedish Defense Minister scheduled for next week.
- Sweden and Finland will be able to join NATO when all Alliance countries ratify the accession protocols. Of the 30 NATO countries, the accession of Sweden and Finland has not yet been ratified by Turkey and Hungary. Hungary announced plans to do so in February, while Turkey has blocked the accession process, demanding the Nordic countries declare Kurdish organizations as terrorists, extradite people it accuses of terrorism, and lift arms embargoes on Ankara.