After Turkey’s denial of support, US says Finland, Sweden ready to join NATO
After Turkey refused to support Sweden for its NATO alliance, the US State Department said on Monday that Finland and Sweden are ready to join the NATO alliance.
The loss of Turkey’s support for Sweden came after President Tayyip Erdogan raised objections to the protest taking place near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the weekend. The protest also included the burning of the holy book the Koran.
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State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that burning books that are sacred to many is a deeply disrespectful act, adding that “something can be legal but horrible.”
Sweden’s NATO membership went into limbo after warning Sweden not to expect support for its bid to join the military alliance following weekend protests in Stockholm by anti-Islam activist and pro-Kurdish groups.
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The US’s comments on the membership of Sweden and Finland immediately after Turkey’s announcement of not showing any support for the two nations, show the divided attitude of the NATO members regarding the addition of two new countries.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan criticized the Koran-burning protest held on Saturday, calling the action an insult to everyone, especially Muslims.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Rasmus Paludan’s protest against the Koran on Saturday, saying it was an insult to everyone, especially Muslims. He also expressed his disappointment with Swedish authorities who allowed the demonstration to take place outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm under the “protection” of the security forces.
Erdogan singled out Sweden, saying countries that allowed the protests to take place in front of the Turkish embassy can no longer expect any charity from Turkey in terms of NATO membership. He also said that Sweden must have measured the consequences of allowing Paludan’s demonstration.
Erdogan also said that if Sweden and Finland will not show any respect for other NATO members and the Muslim community, “they will not see any support from Turkey on the NATO issue.”
The burning of holy books has angered people all over the world. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from several global political leaders.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also criticized Sweden for allowing pro-Kurdish protests to wave the flags of various Kurdish groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK. The PKK in particular is identified as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
(With agency input)
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