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Sweden has advised its citizens to avoid crowds in Turkey. PHOTO/Fredrik Sandberg-TT
STOCKHOLM – Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sweden on Saturday (28/1/2023), warned Swedish citizens in Turki to avoid crowds and demonstrations. This appeal was issued following protests in Turkey above burning the Quran by far-right politicians in Stockholm last week.
Last week Turkey suspended talks with Sweden and Finland over their requests to join NATO. The move was adopted by Turkey as part of a protest in which Rasmus Paludan, the leader of a far-right Danish political party, burned copies of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
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Paludan’s actions have led to demonstrations in a number of Muslim countries as well as in Turkey. A number of Muslim countries also strongly condemned the burning of the Koran.
“Swedes in Turkey are asked to stay abreast of events and to avoid large gatherings and demonstrations,” the Swedish Foreign Ministry said on its advisory page for Swedes abroad.
“Further demonstrations may take place outside the embassy in Ankara and the consulate general in Istanbul in the coming days,” the statement continued, as quoted by Reuters.
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After the Paludan protests, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he was in favor of free speech. “But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. Burning books considered sacred to many people is a very disrespectful act,” Kristersson said on Twitter.
Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They needed the support of all 30 Alliance members.
Turkey has said Sweden in particular must first take a clearer stance against what it sees as terrorists, especially Kurdish militants and groups blamed for the 2016 coup attempt, in order to support NATO membership for the two Nordic countries.
(esn)
