Turkish Embassy in Stockholm

Alamy Photo

In Sweden, a prosecutor has decided that as burning the Quran is part of freedom of expression, there is no need for an investigation into the act of burning the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Jan. 21.

Swedish Consul General in Istanbul Peter Ericson has emphasized that the first alliance between his country and Türkiye was established in 1739 and that the two countries have been in an alliance since then.

"Turkey does not support Sweden joining NATO as long as it allows attacks on Islam's holy book, the Quran", said the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Our opinion on Finland is positive, but not on Sweden," he said.

Türkiye will not approve Sweden's bid to join NATO as long as it continues to permit those who burn the Quran, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, repeating Ankara's favorable position for Finland's application to the alliance.

The US Embassy in Ankara warned Americans in the country "of possible imminent retaliatory terrorist attacks against churches, synagogues and diplomatic missions in Istanbul or other places frequented by citizens of Western countries".

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned Denmark's Ambassador to Türkiye Danny Annan after Danish authorities permitted a provocative protest "involving an attack against the holy book of Quran" on Jan. 27, Foreign Ministry sources have said.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned Denmark's ambassador on Friday over authorities' permission of a protest in Copenhagen scheduled for Friday, ministry sources said.

Turkey has cancelled indefinitely a trilateral mechanism meeting with Sweden and Finland scheduled for February after a weekend protest in Stockholm that drew condemnation from Ankara, state broadcaster TRT reported on Tuesday.

Finland's foreign minister said on Tuesday a time-out of a few weeks was needed in Finland and Sweden's talks with Turkey on their application to join the NATO military alliance.

Turkey's president said on Monday that Sweden should not expect his country's support after a protest near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the weekend, which included the burning of a copy of the Koran.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) has harshly slammed Swedish authorities for allowing and just watching the burning of Quran by an ultra-right wing politician in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.