Turkey Questions Sweden's NATO Commitments

The latest diplomatic row comes after an anti-Islam activist was allowed to burn a copy of the Koran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, RT reported.

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

Anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish lawyer who heads up the right-wing ‘Stram Kurs’ (Hard Line) party in Denmark, torched a copy of the holy book at a small rally in Stockholm earlier on Saturday, with permission and under heavy police protection, even as the authorities tried to distance themselves from the provocative stunt.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said that his country has a “far-reaching freedom of expression, but it does not imply that the Swedish Government, or myself, support the opinions expressed.”

In a separate statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the demonstration as “a flagrant violation of the commitment of Sweden under the Trilateral Memorandum regarding the prevention of the propaganda of terrorist organizations,” emphasizing that “declaring to be bound by the commitments… and delivering on them are two different matters.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top press aide, Fahrettin Altun, added that the “Swedish authorities must wake up to the reality of terror groups’ intent on preventing Sweden’s NATO membership by poisoning their relationship with us.”

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said that his country has a “far-reaching freedom of expression, but it does not imply that the Swedish Government, or myself, support the opinions expressed.”

In a separate statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the demonstration as “a flagrant violation of the commitment of Sweden under the Trilateral Memorandum regarding the prevention of the propaganda of terrorist organizations,” emphasizing that “declaring to be bound by the commitments… and delivering on them are two different matters.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top press aide, Fahrettin Altun, added that the “Swedish authorities must wake up to the reality of terror groups’ intent on preventing Sweden’s NATO membership by poisoning their relationship with us.”