Turkey calls on Sweden to "take deterrent action" after desecration of the Quran

Turkey condemned on Thursday the "vile desecration" of a Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm and urged Sweden to take "deterrent measures" to prevent any similar actions.

In a statement following an incident where an Iraqi refugee in Sweden stepped on a copy of the Quran in Stockholm, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "We expect Sweden to take deterrent measures to prevent hate crimes against Islam."

In the wake of this incident, demonstrators stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire.

Ten days ago, Turkey ended a fourteen-month blockade and agreed to Sweden's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Ankara has criticized the Swedish authorities for their leniency towards Kurdish activists sought by Turkey who have sought refuge in Sweden. On several occasions, Turkey has also criticized Sweden for allowing the burning of the Quran.

During the NATO summit in Vilnius, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Stockholm against allowing Quran desecration, stating, "We expect Sweden not to tolerate attacks against the Quran that offend over two billion Muslims worldwide."

Erdogan also announced at that time that the Turkish Parliament would not approve Sweden's NATO membership before October, after the parliamentary recess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP