The tension between Sweden and Turkey soared multiple folds after another Quran-burning incident was reported in Stockholm on Wednesday afternoon. According to multiple media reports, the protestors "teared up the Quran and burned it" on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha. The latest move by Swedish protestors has further escalated speculations about whether Ankara would support Sweden's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
Initially, the Swedish authorities had rejected the protestors' demand saying the burning “may have foreign policy consequences,” but the security risks and potential ramifications linked to the protest did not allow for the application to be rejected, Politico reported. However, Sweden's court overruled the police decision noting the protection of freedom of speech in their reasoning.
Notably, this was not the first time when such anti-Muslim activities were reported in the country. Earlier in January this year, the leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, Rasmus Paludan, burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. This triggered tension between the two nations and later Ankara suspended talks with Sweden on its Nato application.
Strong opposition from Turkey
In fact, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Stockholm that he would not support the NATO bid if it failed to respect Muslims. "President Erdogan stated that while taking steps in the right direction, especially the change in Sweden’s anti-terror legislation, supporters of the PKK/PYD/YPG in Sweden continue to freely organize demonstrations praising terrorism, recruiting people and providing financial resources to terrorists organizations, and that this situation is unacceptable for Turkey," he said on Wednesday.
Subsequently, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait also denounced Paludan action. Turkish officials condemned the Quran burning on the first day of the Eid al-Adha holiday. “Defending hate crimes under the guise of freedom of expression is a violation of the rights of those who are the victims of these crimes and a real blow to freedom of expression,” Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said in a social media post.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it was “unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of expression. To turn a blind eye to such atrocious acts is to be complicit.”
