As of: 01/23/2023 9:47 p.m
President Erdogan has given Sweden little hope of joining NATO. He was reacting to a Koran burning in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. There was outrage at the action in many parts of the Islamic world.
According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Sweden cannot count on Turkey’s support for NATO membership. “If you don’t show respect for the Turkish Republic or the religious beliefs of the Muslims, then you can’t get any support from us in terms of NATO,” Erdogan said. He was reacting to a demonstration by right-wing extremists in which a Koran was burned in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
The demonstration took place on Saturday under heavy police protection and behind metal barriers. Danish-Swedish right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan delivered a tirade against Islam and migrants and then set fire to a copy of the Koran.
Protest actions in Sweden had recently led to renewed trouble with Turkey. Among other things, activists in central Stockholm hung a doll resembling Erdogan by its feet, prompting an angry reaction from Ankara.
Sweden distances itself from actions
The Swedish government distanced itself from the burning as well as from the incident with the Erdogan doll, but referred to the freedom of expression that applies in Sweden. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in response to Twitter. “But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. The burning of books sacred to many is a deeply disrespectful act.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg pointed out that freedom of expression is a valuable asset. He was of course against this kind of insults. “And I am absolutely against the behavior that we saw on the streets of Stockholm,” said Stoltenberg on TV station Welt. But it wasn’t illegal. “Because freedom of expression is firmly anchored, it’s a great, high right.”
The Swedish police had allowed the demonstration with reference to the constitution and freedom of assembly and expression. Turkey then canceled a visit by the Swedish defense minister, who had wanted to promote his country’s NATO membership in Turkey.
Turkey has been blocking NATO accession for months
“It is clear that those who enabled such disgrace in front of our country’s embassy can no longer expect any goodwill from us regarding their desire to join NATO,” Erdogan said in a televised speech.
NATO member Turkey has been blocking the admission of Sweden and Finland to the defense alliance for months. Turkey in particular accuses Sweden of supporting “terrorist organizations” such as the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK, and is demanding the extradition of a number of people whom Ankara regards as terrorists. All 30 NATO members have to ratify the applications for membership, 28 have already done so – only Turkey and Hungary are still missing.
Eight injured in protests in Baghdad
The burning of the Koran was also the trigger for a protest meeting in Iraq, as reported by the AFP news agency. Violence broke out between demonstrators and security forces in front of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Seven protesters and one police officer were injured, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said.
About 400 people took part in the protest in front of the embassy, according to an Interior Ministry source. They shouted chants like “No to Sweden, yes to the Koran!”. Violence erupted as police pushed back the protesters. The demonstrators threw stones and the police used batons, the ministry official said. The protest later died down, as reported by an AFP photographer. The burning of the Koran sparked outrage in many parts of the Islamic world.