Turkish first lady voices 'sorrow' over recent Quran burning in Sweden

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye's first lady conveyed her "sorrow" to the spouse of Sweden's premier over a recent burning of the Muslim holy book in Stockholm, she said Wednesday.

"I expressed my sorrow to Mrs. Ed about the disrespect shown to our holy book, the Quran, in Sweden," Emine Erdogan tweeted after receiving Birgitta Ed on the sidelines of this week's NATO summit in Lithuania.

Last month, a person identified as Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Quran under police protection in front of the Stockholm Mosque in Sweden.

His provocative act was timed to coincide with Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

"I was delighted that an agreement was reached on concrete measures to combat the escalating racism and Islamophobia in Europe," Erdogan also said in her tweet after the meeting.

Erdogan also said that during their meeting in the Baltic nation's capital Vilnius, she and Ed discussed their social projects and how to improve cultural cooperation between the two countries.

"I hope that our bilateral relations with Sweden, which trace back to the Ottoman era, continue to expand and grow."

The 31 leaders of the military alliance are meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, Sweden's NATO membership, and steps to strengthen the group's defense and deterrence.