Erdogan warns Sweden of NATO bid after Koran’s fiery protest | Recep Tayyip Erdogan News
Turkey’s president says Sweden should not expect Ankara’s support in its bid to join the military alliance.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Sweden not to expect his support for joining NATO after the burning of the Koran outside Ankara’s embassy in Stockholm during a protest.
“Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our embassy (in Stockholm) can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership,” Erdogan said on Monday, in his first official response to the killing of a far-right politician during a protest on Monday. the weekend that was approved by the Swedish police.
Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members that have not ratified the Nordic neighbors’ historic decision to break their tradition of military non-alignment in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has promised that his parliament would approve the two bids next month.
But Erdogan has been digging in his heels heading into a close election in which he is trying to energize his nationalist base.
“If you do not show respect for the religious beliefs of the Republic of Turkiye or Muslims, you will not get any support for NATO (membership) from us,” he said, calling the Koran burning an attack on 85 million Turkish citizens.
Sweden reacted with extreme caution to Erdogan’s statements.
“I cannot comment on the statement tonight. First I want to understand exactly what was said,” said Foreign Minister Tobias Billström to Sweden’s news agency TT.
Canceled visits
The Koran burning was carried out by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line. Paludan, who also has Swedish citizenship, has held a number of demonstrations in the past where he burned the Koran.
Several Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait condemned the incident.
Swedish leaders strongly condemned Paludan’s actions but defended their country’s broad definition of freedom of expression.
“I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm today,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson tweeted on Saturday.
Erdogan has already set out a series of tough conditions that include a demand for Sweden to hand over dozens of mostly Kurdish suspects whom Ankara either accuses of “terrorism” or of involvement in a failed 2016 coup.
Sweden’s courtship of Turkey appeared to be making progress with a flurry of visits by top ministers to Ankara.
Stockholm has also adopted a constitutional amendment that will make it possible to adopt tougher anti-terror laws that Ankara demands.
But things turned sour when a small Kurdish group hung a picture of Erdogan outside Stockholm City Hall earlier this month.
Turkey summoned the Swedish ambassador and revoked an invitation to its speaker of parliament to visit Ankara.
The Swedish police’s decision to approve Paludan’s protests received a similar reaction.
Turkey called in Stockholm’s ambassador for another dressing down and canceled a planned visit by Sweden’s defense minister.