Sweden must ‘immediately act’ to prevent ‘hatred-filled provocations’ against Türkiye, Islam

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Sweden must “immediately act” to prevent “hatred-filled provocations” against Türkiye and fight against those who target Islam, the Turkish communications director said on Saturday.

“Swedish authorities cannot hide behind the excuses such as freedom of expression and assembly," Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.

Altun’s remarks came after Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party, burnt a copy of the Quran near the Turkish Embassy’s building in the Swedish capital Stockholm.

"We warn the Swedish authorities once 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 out their true connections and aims against our country," he said.

“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,” Altun said, adding: "The so-called protestors are nothing but provocateurs who are determined to sow seeds of hatred against Türkiye and Islam."

"For years, the PKK has been roaming free in European countries, recruiting individuals and fundraising for terrorist activities to fight against our country. They also spread propaganda against Türkiye in European capitals in the name of freedom of speech," he said.

Calling for making the clear distinction between Kurdish political activism and the activities of the PKK terrorist group, the Turkish official said: "It is past time the European governments wake up to the reality of PKK’s organized terrorist activities on their soil."

He said if the Swedish authorities are serious about their national security and want to join NATO, they “must also care about the security of their potential NATO allies like Türkiye. This is not too much to ask. Unless of course they truly do not care."

Noting that Türkiye has been fighting terrorism for four decades, Altun said: "Europe has been a major breeding ground for terror activities against our country. This must stop if any of these countries want a genuine dialogue and productive relationship with us."

"Türkiye will continue to insist that our European and NATO allies must care about our national security and terror threats against our country. They cannot treat so-called ‘protests’ like the one planned for today as part of freedom of assembly or freedom of speech," he said.

- 'Vile attack' on Muslim holy book

Earlier Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry described the burning of the Quran in Stockholm as a "vile attack" on the Muslim holy book.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book, the Quran, in Sweden today (21 January), despite our repeated warnings earlier," a ministry statement said.

In response to Sweden's permission for a planned burning of the Quran, Ankara canceled Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson's upcoming visit to Türkiye.

Last week, Türkiye called on Sweden to take steps against terror groups after a demonstration in Stockholm, where supporters of the PKK terrorist organization hung in effigy by the feet a figure of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then uploaded footage of the provocation along with threats against Türkiye and Erdogan.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24.

But Türkiye – a NATO member for more than 70 years – voiced objections, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting terror groups, including the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Last June, Türkiye and the two Nordic countries signed a memorandum at a NATO summit to address Ankara's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for their eventual membership in the alliance.