- mete bubalo
- PRESS24 NEWS News
image source, Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Ardoan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Sweden on Monday not to expect Turkey to support its bid to join Nato after a copy of the Koran was burned in its capital Stockholm.
Let us tell you that after the war between Ukraine and Russia started last year, Sweden and Finland have started efforts to take membership of NATO, the military organization of America and European countries.
Both these European countries had also formally applied for membership of NATO.
But Turkey stopped their application using its veto power as a NATO member.
Since then, protests against Turkey have continued in Sweden. Burning a copy of Quran, the holiest book of Islam, is also included in this sequence.
A few days before this, some Kurdish protesters in Sweden had hung the effigy of Turkish President Ardoan upside down.
image source, Reuters
what did ardoan say
Many countries around the world have condemned the burning of a copy of the Quran in Stockholm. Turkey is also included in these countries.
Turkish President Ardoan said, “Sweden should no longer expect us to support its efforts to join NATO. It is clear that those people who have insulted our country in front of the embassy , they cannot expect any mercy from us regarding their application.”
Please tell that the Swedish government had already given permission for the protests that took place last Sunday. However, this did not include burning a copy of the Quran.
Terming it as blasphemy, Ardoan has said that it cannot be defended by the principle of freedom of expression.
The government of Sweden has also condemned this protest.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Bilstrom described it as a “fear-inducing” incident.
He wrote on social media, “There is freedom of expression in Sweden, but it does not mean that I support the government here or the sentiments expressed in the demonstration.”
image source, ERDEM SAHIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
What did Sweden say on Ardoan’s statement
The Swedish government has also given its response on Ardoan’s statement which came last Monday.
Bilstorm has said that he wants to fully understand Ardoan’s statement before saying anything on this issue.
He said, “Sweden will respect the agreement on NATO membership that has been reached between Sweden, Finland and Turkey.”
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also said on this issue that freedom of expression was a valuable thing in Nato countries and such acts are certainly inappropriate but they do not automatically become illegal.
Turkey, a Muslim-majority country, has called the Swedish government’s decision to allow this protest completely unacceptable.
Ardoan has said, “No one has the right to disrespect saints. When we say something, we say it with all sincerity. And when someone disrespects us, we show them their place.”
Please tell that after this incident, Turkey has canceled the visit of Sweden’s Defense Minister Pal Johnson. Turkey said the round had now “lost its significance and meaning”.
On this decision of his government, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has told that before taking this decision “it was seen that no action was taken against this disgusting protest.”
In the last few days, after the top ministers of Sweden reached Ankara, hopes were raised that Sweden could soon become a member of NATO countries.
Turkey is already a member of Nato. For this reason, he is able to stop any other country from becoming a member of NATO.
Along with stopping Sweden’s NATO application, it has made various demands from Sweden. These include extraditing some Kurds whom Turkey calls terrorists.
A month earlier, Sweden’s prime minister had said that Kurdish protesters who hanged Ardoan’s effigy upside down in Stockholm were trying to sabotage his efforts to become a NATO member.
A Swedish minister called the protests condemnable but Turkey said that the condemnation was not enough.
read this also –
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency/news feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings