Turkish Protesters Besiege Swedish Consulate Over Koran-Burning Stunt

Protesters in front of the Swedish consulate in Istanbul on Sunday chanted against Sweden and burned Swedish flags and pictures of the far-right Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan.

Paludan sparked anger in Turkey by publicly burning the Koran in front of supporters of his far-right Danish political party, Hard Line. He also has Swedish citizenship.

Protesters try to burn picture of Swedish-Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan in front of the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul, 22 January 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

He burned the copy of the Koran during s protest on Saturday afternoon outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.

He has held several demonstrations in the past where he has also burned Korans. He told Swedish media on Sunday that he did not regret burning the Koran.

However, the gesture has hugely embarrassed Swedish diplomats. "We do not share the book-burning idiot's view," the Swedish Consulate General staff wrote on a placard placed in a window at the consulate as a response to the protesters.

A poster in the windiow of the Sweden Consulate window in Istanbul, 22 January 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

Turkish police maintained tight security around the Consulate as protests continued until late on Sunday night.

The Koran-burning episode has strained already stressed relationships between Sweden and Turkey over the Nordic country's NATO membership bid, which Ankara has not approved.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book … Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.