Diplomatic tensions are increasing between Turkey and Sweden
The MoF informs the Swedish ambassador that it would be against the agreements between the two countries to allow a group supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to organize such protests.
The Turkish government summoned the Swedish ambassador to Ankara on Friday after Stockholm allowed a protest to take place on Saturday in front of the Turkish embassy in Sweden, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
The source said the Foreign Office was strongly opposed to the “provocative” protest, which it claimed would include desecration of the Koran, alluding to a previously unrelated protest.
According to the source, the Foreign Ministry has also informed Sweden’s envoy that it would be against the agreements between the two countries to allow a group that supports the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The incident comes at a critical time in bilateral ties between the two countries, particularly as Sweden seeks Turkey’s approval of its NATO membership applications.
Ankara expects that the permit for the rally will most likely be revoked because Sweden has serious stakes at stake, i.e. Sweden’s accession to NATO.
After the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, Sweden and Finland both submitted applications to join NATO last year. However, their accession proposal requires the unanimous approval of all 30 NATO member states to be considered. Hungary and Turkey are the only countries that have not approved the applications.
Read more: Turkey needs more concrete steps from Sweden for NATO’s bid: FM
Sweden’s ambassador to Turkey, Staffan Herrström, was summoned to the ministry last week in connection with an incident in Stockholm, where a picture of President Tayyip Erdogan hung. The act was condemned by Sweden, but Turkey demanded that it take a strong stand against terrorism.
Read more: Swedes reject legal concessions to win Turkey’s NATO consent: Survey