Turkey Summons Swedish Ambassador over Planned Quran Burning
Turkey summoned Sweden's ambassador to Ankara after the Swedish government permitted a far-right, anti-Muslim leader to burn a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
The Swedish government granted Rasmus Paludan, a convicted racist, permission to burn the Muslim holy book in front of the embassy building on Saturday, January 21, according to The Washington Post.
"Upon learning that the act of burning our holy book, the Holy Quran, near our Stockholm embassy in Sweden, was allowed, the Swedish ambassador to Ankara was summoned to our ministry today," sources in the Turkish foreign affairs ministry said.
It has been conveyed to the Swedish ambassador that Turkey strongly condemns the provocative act, "which is clearly a hate crime", the sources added.
"Sweden's attitude is unacceptable. We expect the act not to be allowed, and that insults to sacred values cannot be defended under the guise of 'democratic rights'."
Sweden has also received a warning from Turkey that it is clearly breaking the terms of the tripartite agreement if it permits the PKK and its linked circles to carry out their propaganda efforts, including planning a rally in Stockholm.