{"id":3326,"date":"2023-01-21T16:51:30","date_gmt":"2023-01-21T16:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=3326"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:36:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:36:37","slug":"turkey-denounces-swedish-protests-cancels-ministers-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/diplomatic-world\/turkey-denounces-swedish-protests-cancels-ministers-meeting\/2023\/01\/21\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkey denounces Swedish protests, cancels ministers\u2019 meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

STOCKHOLM<\/span> (AP)<\/span> –<\/span> Turkey<\/span> canceled<\/span> a<\/span> planned<\/span> visit<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> Swedish<\/span> defense<\/span> minister<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday<\/span> in<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> anti-Turkish<\/span> protests<\/span> that<\/span> have<\/span> heightened<\/span> tensions<\/span> between<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> countries<\/span> as<\/span> Sweden<\/span> seeks<\/span> Turkey’s<\/span> approval<\/span> of<\/span> NATO<\/span> membership.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Danish<\/span> far-right<\/span> activists,<\/span> with<\/span> police<\/span> permission,<\/span> protested<\/span> outside<\/span> the<\/span> Turkish<\/span> embassy<\/span> in<\/span> Stockholm,<\/span> burning<\/span> the<\/span> Koran,<\/span> the<\/span> holy<\/span> book<\/span> of<\/span> Islam.<\/span> Another<\/span> pro-Kurdish<\/span> demonstration<\/span> was<\/span> scheduled<\/span> for<\/span> late<\/span> Saturday<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Swedish<\/span> capital.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> response,<\/span> Turkish<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister<\/span> Hulusi<\/span> Akar<\/span> said<\/span> that<\/span> as<\/span> Sweden<\/span> continues<\/span> to<\/span> allow<\/span> “disgusting”<\/span> demonstrations<\/span> against<\/span> Turkey,<\/span> the<\/span> January<\/span> 27<\/span> visit<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> Swedish<\/span> counterpart<\/span> Paul<\/span> Jonsson<\/span> was<\/span> “no<\/span> longer<\/span> important.”<\/span> not,’<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span> Mr<\/span> Johnson<\/span> tweeted<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> had<\/span> met<\/span> Mr<\/span> Akar<\/span> in<\/span> Ramstein,<\/span> Germany<\/span> on<\/span> Friday<\/span> and<\/span> had<\/span> “agreed<\/span> to<\/span> postpone<\/span> the<\/span> meeting<\/span> with<\/span> Mr<\/span> Ankara”.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“Our<\/span> relationship<\/span> with<\/span> Turkey<\/span> is<\/span> very<\/span> important<\/span> to<\/span> Sweden<\/span> and<\/span> we<\/span> look<\/span> forward<\/span> to<\/span> continuing<\/span> our<\/span> dialogue<\/span> on<\/span> common<\/span> security<\/span> and<\/span> defense<\/span> issues<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> later<\/span> date,”<\/span> he<\/span> wrote.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Swedish<\/span> government’s<\/span> efforts<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> relations<\/span> with<\/span> Turkey<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> complicated<\/span> by<\/span> demonstrations<\/span> by<\/span> pro-Kurdish<\/span> activists<\/span> that<\/span> have<\/span> infuriated<\/span> the<\/span> Turkish<\/span> government.<\/span> On<\/span> Saturday,<\/span> anti-Islamic<\/span> activist<\/span> Rasmus<\/span> Pardan<\/span> staged<\/span> a<\/span> protest<\/span> to<\/span> burn<\/span> the<\/span> Koran<\/span> in<\/span> front<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Turkish<\/span> embassy,<\/span> \u200b\u200bheightening<\/span> tensions.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Surrounded<\/span> by<\/span> police,<\/span> Pardan<\/span> protested,<\/span> making<\/span> derogatory<\/span> remarks<\/span> about<\/span> immigration<\/span> and<\/span> Islam.<\/span> About<\/span> 100<\/span> people<\/span> gathered<\/span> nearby<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> peaceful<\/span> counter-demonstration.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> another<\/span> protest<\/span> later<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday,<\/span> pro-Kurdish<\/span> and<\/span> anti-NATO<\/span> activists<\/span> planned<\/span> to<\/span> march<\/span> through<\/span> downtown<\/span> Stockholm.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Swedish<\/span> officials<\/span> stressed<\/span> that<\/span> freedom<\/span> of<\/span> expression<\/span> is<\/span> guaranteed<\/span> in<\/span> Sweden’s<\/span> constitution,<\/span> which<\/span> does<\/span> not<\/span> allow<\/span> incitement<\/span> to<\/span> violence<\/span> or<\/span> hate<\/span> speech,<\/span> but<\/span> gives<\/span> people<\/span> broad<\/span> rights<\/span> to<\/span> express<\/span> their<\/span> views<\/span> in<\/span> public.<\/span> Yes,<\/span> demonstrators<\/span> must<\/span> apply<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> police<\/span> for<\/span> permission<\/span> to<\/span> hold<\/span> public<\/span> rallies.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Turkish<\/span> officials<\/span> condemned<\/span> the<\/span> Quran-burning<\/span> protest<\/span> on<\/span> Twitter,<\/span> and<\/span> Swedish<\/span> authorities<\/span> for<\/span> allowing<\/span> it.<\/span> Ibrahim<\/span> Kalin,<\/span> the<\/span> spokesman<\/span> for<\/span> Turkish<\/span> President<\/span> Recep<\/span> Tayyip<\/span> Erdogan,<\/span> called<\/span> it<\/span> a<\/span> hateful<\/span> crime<\/span> against<\/span> humanity.<\/span> Ruling<\/span> party<\/span> spokesman<\/span> Omer<\/span> Celik<\/span> accused<\/span> Swedish<\/span> authorities<\/span> of<\/span> protecting<\/span> hate<\/span> crimes.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Foreign<\/span> Minister<\/span> Mevlut<\/span> Cavusoglu<\/span> told<\/span> journalists<\/span> that<\/span> attacking<\/span> the<\/span> Quran<\/span> can’t<\/span> be<\/span> considered<\/span> freedom<\/span> of<\/span> expression<\/span> and<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> hoped<\/span> Swedish<\/span> authorities<\/span> would<\/span> cancel<\/span> the<\/span> permit<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> protest.<\/span> Erdogan’s<\/span> nationalist<\/span> ally,<\/span> Devlet<\/span> Bahceli,<\/span> said<\/span> parliament<\/span> wouldn’t<\/span> ratify<\/span> Sweden’s<\/span> NATO<\/span> membership<\/span> \u201cunder<\/span> these<\/span> conditions.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Turkey<\/span> summoned<\/span> the<\/span> Swedish<\/span> ambassador<\/span> Friday<\/span> to<\/span> condemn<\/span> the<\/span> planned<\/span> protests,<\/span> saying<\/span> protests<\/span> by<\/span> pro-Kurdish<\/span> groups<\/span> linked<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Kurdistan<\/span> Workers’<\/span> Party,<\/span> or<\/span> PKK,<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> a<\/span> violation<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> joint<\/span> memorandum<\/span> signed<\/span> between<\/span> Turkey,<\/span> Sweden<\/span> and<\/span> Finland<\/span> that<\/span> prevented<\/span> a<\/span> Turkish<\/span> veto<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Nordic<\/span> countries’<\/span> NATO<\/span> accession<\/span> in<\/span> June.<\/span> Turkey,<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> EU<\/span> consider<\/span> the<\/span> PKK<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> a<\/span> terrorist<\/span> group,<\/span> and<\/span> Sweden<\/span> and<\/span> Finland<\/span> have<\/span> also<\/span> “confirmed”<\/span> that<\/span> classification<\/span> in<\/span> their<\/span> memorandum.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> statue<\/span> of<\/span> Erdogan<\/span> was<\/span> hung<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> lamppost<\/span> amid<\/span> Kurdish<\/span> protests<\/span> in<\/span> early<\/span> January.Turkey<\/span> condemned<\/span> the<\/span> Swedish<\/span> public<\/span> prosecutor’s<\/span> decision<\/span> not<\/span> to<\/span> conduct<\/span> an<\/span> investigation,<\/span> urging<\/span> Sweden’s<\/span> Ulf<\/span> Kristersson<\/span> to<\/span> The<\/span> prime<\/span> minister<\/span> described<\/span> the<\/span> protests<\/span> as<\/span> “an<\/span> act<\/span> of<\/span> sabotage”<\/span> against<\/span> Sweden’s<\/span> bid<\/span> to<\/span> join<\/span> NATO.<\/span> Turkey<\/span> summoned<\/span> the<\/span> Swedish<\/span> ambassador<\/span> earlier<\/span> this<\/span> week<\/span> and<\/span> canceled<\/span> the<\/span> visit<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Swedish<\/span> parliamentary<\/span> speaker<\/span> following<\/span> the<\/span> incident.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>All<\/span> her<\/span> NATO<\/span> member<\/span> states<\/span> must<\/span> ratify<\/span> Sweden’s<\/span> and<\/span> Finland’s<\/span> applications<\/span> for<\/span> membership<\/span> in<\/span> their<\/span> parliaments.<\/span> This<\/span> was<\/span> after<\/span> Russia’s<\/span> war<\/span> with<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> forced<\/span> the<\/span> Nordic<\/span> countries<\/span> to<\/span> abandon<\/span> their<\/span> long-standing<\/span> non-aligned<\/span> military<\/span> policy.<\/span> Turkey<\/span> has<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> no<\/span> objections<\/span> to<\/span> NATO’s<\/span> expansion,<\/span> but<\/span> will<\/span> not<\/span> ratify<\/span> the<\/span> agreement<\/span> until<\/span> its<\/span> demands,<\/span> including<\/span> the<\/span> extradition<\/span> of<\/span> terrorist<\/span> suspects,<\/span> are<\/span> met.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

STOCKHOLM (AP) – Turkey canceled a planned visit by the Swedish defense minister on Saturday in response to anti-Turkish protests that have heightened tensions between the two countries as Sweden seeks Turkey’s approval of NATO membership. Danish far-right activists, with police permission, protested outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, burning the Koran, the holy book […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[24,280,2480,2482],"tags":[44,79,853,866,867,868,869],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/TURKEYSWEDSH.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3326"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3326"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3328,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3326\/revisions\/3328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}