June 28 (UPI) — The burning of the Koran during a protest in Sweden has drawn condemnation from Turkey, potentially affecting Sweden’s NATO membership application. Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, expressed his disapproval on Twitter, stating, “On the first day of Eid al-Adha, I condemn the disgraceful act against our holy book, the Koran, in Sweden!”
“Allowing these anti-Islamic actions under the guise of freedom of expression is unacceptable. Ignoring such abhorrent acts is equivalent to complicity,” declared Fahrettin Altun, the head of communications for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Altun further criticized European authorities, especially those in Sweden, asserting, “We are tired of enabling Islamophobia and witnessing continued hatred towards our religion. Countries seeking NATO alliance cannot endorse or enable destructive behaviors of Islamophobic and xenophobic terrorists.”
Altun urged Swedish authorities to take decisive action against what Turkey deems as “terrorism,” as well as dispel any notion that these actions hide behind the principles of freedom of expression and speech. Altun emphasized that combating terrorism is a fundamental requirement within civilized societies and an essential prerequisite for any credible alliance.
As of now, NATO has not publicly addressed this recent controversy. However, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, stated their mutual agreement to welcome Sweden as a full member of NATO.
Turkey’s criticism stems from Salwan Momika, an immigrant from Iraq, who acquired a police permit to burn the Koran in Sweden. The permit, obtained by CNN, acknowledges that security risks and potential terrorist attacks and foreign policy consequences could result from the burning. However, Momika argued that the Koran should be banned worldwide due to the perceived threats it poses to democracy, ethics, human values, human rights, and women’s rights.
In January, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning to citizens planning trips to the United States and Europe after witnessing protests in Sweden and other European countries where anti-Islamic demonstrators burned the Koran. One such protest involved Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish politician and leader of the Danish political party Stram Kurs, who recorded himself burning the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy.
