Islamophobia in Europe hit 'alarming level' with attacks on Quran: Turkish foreign minister

By Faruk Zorlu

In a phone call with his Danish counterpart, Türkiye's foreign minister on Saturday stressed Ankara's concern over the alarming rise of islamophobia in Europe, especially in attacks on the holy Quran.

During his call with Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Hakan Fidan said, "Islamophobia in Europe has reached an alarming level, even turning into an epidemic, and allowing such despicable actions under the guise of freedom of expression is unacceptable," said a Foreign Ministry statement.

Fidan reiterated Türkiye's condemnation of the ongoing and escalating "vile attacks on our holy book, the Quran, in Denmark."

He added that Türkiye expects the Danish government to take "immediate action to prevent these attacks."

Recent months have seen multiple instances of Quran burning or desecration in several European countries, especially in northern Europe, drawing widespread condemnation from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.