Ulf Kristersson

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has voiced concern over the recent attacks on Islam's holy book of Quran in Denmark and Sweden, stating that the Nordic countries are now "beginning to grasp the potential harms and threats posed by such actions."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he is in close contact with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen regarding a possible ban.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday urged Sweden to take concrete steps to prevent burnings of the Koran, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.

Sweden and Denmark have seen several protests in recent weeks where copies of the Koran have been damaged or burned, causing outrage among Muslims. Sweden's embassy in Baghdad was stormed and set ablaze by angry protesters.

Sweden has ordered its armed forces and civil services to step up their preparations to deal with a terrorist threat, amid worsening security following several cases of desecration of the Quran, AFP reported.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated Türkiye's calls for a stricter and tougher stance against terrorism at NATO's critical leaders' summit in Vilnius which has produced important decisions such as the appointment of a special counterterrorism coordinator.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L), Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (R) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (C) ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE/Henrik Montgomery

Turkish President Recep Erdogan has agreed to submit the protocol for Sweden's accession to NATO to the parliament in Ankara for ratification as soon as possible.

This was announced in Vilnius by the Secretary General of the Pact, Jens Stoltenberg, after a meeting with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Türkiye agreed on July 10 to allow Sweden to join NATO, setting the stage for the allies to showcase their unity at a summit focused on supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

Hailing a "historic day," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday evening that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed - after marathon trilateral consultations with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of the Alliance's Summit - to proceed to forward the Nordic country's accession protocol to the North Atlantic Alliance for ratification by the Turkish parl

Türkiye has demanded the resumption of the full membership talks with the European Union to consider the accession of Sweden into NATO, a day before the critical alliance's leaders' summit in Vilnius.