Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Sweden cannot count on Turkey’s support to gain NATO membership after the burning of the Koran at the Turkish embassy in Stockholm last weekend.
Right-wing extremist politician Rasmus Paludan was allowed to stage a protest in which he burned a Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in the Swedish capital. That permit sparked anger in Turkey. The Swedish ambassador to Turkey had to report on Friday due to the planned burning of the Koran. A visit by the Swedish defense minister has also been suspended.
Labour intensive
Relations between the two countries have been strained since Turkey prevented Sweden and Finland from joining NATO. All members must accept this membership. Ankara is conditional on Sweden extraditing up to 130 people whom Turkey considers Kurdish terrorists or involved in the 2016 coup attempt.
Sweden’s possible entry into NATO gained momentum after the war in Ukraine. Since the invasion, the Swedes have felt the hot breath of Russia, which sees NATO as a security threat, breathing down their necks. The Russians have warned of the “consequences” of possible membership. Sweden’s Social Democrats said they would “commit” to join, something supported by the public and most opposition parties.
Source: BNR
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