Relations between Sweden and Türkiye took another hit after Stokholm allowed a right-wing politician to burn a copy of the Holy Quran on Saturday, drawing harsh criticism from all segments of Turkish society and international condemnation from several Muslim countries.
The country has been angered by permission obtained by Rasmus Paludan, a Swedish-Danish politician whose anti-Islam actions sparked riots across Sweden last year, to stage a protest in front of its embassy in the Swedish capital.
Paludan burnt a copy of Islam’s holy book near the Turkish Embassy residence under the protection of the Swedish police.
Hours ahead of Paludan’s protest, Türkiye canceled a planned visit by Sweden’s defense minister. The Swedish ambassador in Ankara was separately summoned, the second such move over the past two weeks.
“At this point, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson’s visit to Türkiye on Jan. 27 has lost its significance and meaning, so we canceled the visit,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu condemned the incident as “a racist, hate crime” during an address in the Mediterranean city of Antalya.
“Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of ‘freedom of expression’ is completely unacceptable,” Çavuşoğlu’s office separately said in a written statement.
Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson’s planned visit to Türkiye on Jan. 27 sought to ease the concerns Ankara has raised about terrorist groups, saying these must be addressed before Sweden’s application to join the NATO alliance can be ratified.
Tensions between Stockholm and Ankara have been running high for two weeks since a controversial protest in which an effigy of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was hanged from its feet in Stockholm.
Türkiye had summoned the Swedish ambassador and canceled a visit by Swedish Parliamentary Speaker Andreas Norlen to Ankara.
Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın condemned the planned protest on Saturday, slamming it as a “clear crime of hatred.”
“Allowing this action although all our warnings encourage hate crimes and Islamophobia,” he tweeted.
“The attack on sacred values is not freedom but modern barbarism.”
“Swedish authorities cannot hide behind the excuses such as freedom of expression and assembly,” Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.
“We warn the Swedish authorities again and call on them to ensure the security of our personnel in our embassy. They also must investigate the organizers of this event and find their true connections and aims against our country,” he said.
“The Swedish authorities must wake up to the reality of terrorist groups’ intent on preventing Sweden’s NATO membership by poisoning their relationship with us,” Altun said, adding: “The so-called protestors are nothing but provocateurs who are determined to sow seeds of hatred against Türkiye and Islam.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik on Sunday wrote on Twitter that “Hate cannot be answered with hate. We will continue to respond to hatred by further protecting human dignity.”
“We must build great solidarity on the basis of humanity against fascism and the politics of hatred. We must strengthen the common ground of struggle,” he added.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on Twitter, "Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. For example, burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims offended by what has happened in Stockholm today.”
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said similarly that Islamophobic provocations were appalling.
“Sweden has a far-reaching freedom of expression, but it does not imply that the Swedish Government, or myself, support the opinions expressed,” Billstrom said on Twitter.
“We can now probably forget Turkish ratification before the elections, which seem to be scheduled for May 14,” Paul Levin, director of Stockholm University’s Institute for Turkish Studies, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Levin said PKK supporters had realized they could provoke Erdoğan “by insulting him and thereby stall the accession process.”
In a separate protest later Saturday, a few hundred pro-PKK and anti-NATO activists marched through downtown Stockholm. Demonstrators waved flags of the PKK, which has waged a decadeslong insurgency against Türkiye. The PKK is considered a terrorist group in Türkiye, the European Union and the United States, but its symbols aren’t banned in Sweden.
Swedish officials have asserted that the Swedish Constitution guarantees Freedom of expression and gives people extensive rights to express their views publicly. However, incitement to violence or hate speech isn’t allowed. Demonstrators must apply to the police for a permit for a public gathering. Police can deny such permits only on exceptional grounds, such as risks to public safety.
The protesters also held up flags with the face of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and walked over a photo of Erdoğan.
Conversely, a counterprotest also took place to condemn the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian wing, the YPG.
The demonstration, organized by the Union of International Democrats (UID) Sweden Regional Presidency, was in front of the Turkish Embassy in the Swedish capital.
Carrying Turkish flags, protesters condemned the burning of the Quran.
The opposition and parties allied with the government in the Turkish Parliament separately condemned the protest.
“The vicious attack on the Holy Quran in front of our Embassy in Stockholm is unacceptable. We know well the purpose of this disrespect that will hurt billions of Muslims. I condemn this fascism, which is the pinnacle of hate crime,” main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said on Twitter.
Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) leader Ali Babacan also strongly condemned the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden, saying the act was carried out with “racist and anti-Islamic motives.”
Future Party (GP) head Ahmet Davutoğlu said on Twitter: “I condemn the vile attack on the Holy Quran in Sweden. The Swedish government should take the necessary steps against Islamophobia.”
“Those who feed and grow Islamophobia and racism are committing hate crimes! I strongly condemn those who perpetrate and condone the vile attack on our life guide Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Sweden!” Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu said on Twitter.
The spokesperson of the Good Party (IP) said similarly described the incident as “unacceptable.”
“This attitude cannot be explained with the concepts of right and freedom, and it is wrong for the future of relations between the two countries,” said Kürşad Zorlu.
Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Jordan and Kuwait, denounced the Quran burning. “Saudi Arabia calls for spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence and rejects hatred and extremism,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms the State of Qatar’s total rejection of all forms of hate speech based on religion or race and rejecting the involvement of sanctities in political disputes. Furthermore, the ministry warns that hate campaigns against Islam and the discourse of Islamophobia witnessed a dangerous escalation through the continued frequent calls for repeated targeting of Muslims worldwide,” Qatar said.
The incident “hurts Muslims’ sentiments across the world and marks serious provocation,” Kuwait's foreign minister, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah, said in statements cited by the state-run Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
He called the international community “to shoulder responsibility by stopping such unacceptable acts and denouncing all forms of hatred and extremism and bringing the perpetrators to accountability.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said some European countries, under the false pretext of advocating Freedom of speech, “allow extremist and radical elements to spread hatred against Islamic sanctities and values.”
Kanaani said despite the strong emphasis on human rights in Islam, Europeans continue to “institutionalize anti-Islam sentiment and Islamophobia” in their societies.
Pakistan also condemned the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden, describing it as a “senseless and provocative Islamophobic act.”
“This senseless and provocative Islamophobic act hurts the religious sensitivities of over 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide,” said the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
Islamabad urged the international community to show a “common resolve” against Islamophobia, xenophobia, intolerance, and incitement to violence based on religion or belief and work together to promote inter-faith harmony and peaceful coexistence.
Morocco said it was "astonished" the authorities had allowed it to take place "in front of the Swedish forces of order".
Stalled NATO process
Sweden and Finland dropped decades of military non-alignment last year when they applied to join the Western defense alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, Türkiye voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and supporting terrorist groups.
For Sweden and Finland to become NATO members, their applications must be ratified by all 30 NATO members. So far, 28 have already done so – only Türkiye and Hungary have pending votes.
Ankara has long criticized Stockholm for housing members of various terrorist organizations, particularly members of the PKK and, in recent years, Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) – the organization behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt in Türkiye.
Ahead of a historic NATO summit, the three countries signed a trilateral deal in June that prevented a Turkish veto. In the memorandum, the Nordic countries said they would address Türkiye’s extradition requests for terrorists. In addition, the joint directive states that Finland and Sweden “will not provide support to ... the organization described as FETÖ” and terrorist groups.
Türkiye has provided a list of wanted individuals to Sweden and expects the Scandinavian nation to take swift action to show that its demands are being addressed.
