Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said that Sweden should not expect support from Ankara on its NATO bid in response to anti-Islam protests that took place in Sweden over the weekend.
Demonstrators burned Qurans in front of the Turkish embassy on Saturday, and Erdogan said Stockholm should not have allowed the protests to take place at that location.
“It is clear that those who allowed such vileness to take place in front of our embassy can no longer expect any charity from us regarding their NATO membership application,” Erdogan said.
Pro-Kurdish demonstrations also took place in Sweden, which Erdogan said were in support of the PKK, a group Turkey and the EU consider a terrorist organization. “So you will let terror organizations run wild on your avenues and streets and then expect our support for getting into NATO. That’s not happening,” he said.
Turkey has delayed both Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids mainly over their alleged support for the PKK. Erdogan has been demanding Sweden approve more extraditions to Turkey and has been critical of Stockholm’s cooperation, but his comments Monday were his strongest yet.
Erdogan’s comments come as he is preparing to run for reelection. The election was originally scheduled to take place in June, but it might be rescheduled for May. A spokesman for Erdogan recently said they don’t want to bring the NATO issue to Turkey’s parliament ahead of the elections.
While Erdogan made no mention of Finland on Monday, the two Nordic nations have said that their NATO bids are linked and that they wouldn’t join the alliance without each other. Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO nations that haven’t approved Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids, although the Hungarian parliament is expected to hold a vote on the issue soon.
If Sweden and Finland join NATO, it will raise tensions with Moscow in the region as Finland shares an over 800-mile border with Russia. The Russian military is planning to boost its presence in western Russia and along the border if Finland ends up joining the alliance.
Erdogan was better before he became, as has Netanyahu, a creature of the religious. Clawing his way back to the Ottoman Empire. But runaway inflation and collapsing lira.
It was a very bad idea to burn Quran if they want to have Turks on their side. Of course, those who burned Quran got away with it unpunished. If Erdogan, after that, will allow Sweden to join NATO, he risks to be removed from the power.
Was the Quran stolen? If not, why would it be anyone’s business but that of the guy burning it?
Are you napping, Mr. Knapp.
The guy has the right to burn his own Quran the same as he has right to shit in his own trousers. When he does it in his own house, it is his own business, but when he does it in public, the other people could be scandalized.
Whoop de doo. There’s no right not to be “scandalized.”
When you ask someone for something, it is best not to have your thumb in his eye.
They have this rights problem, Swedes are allowed many freedoms. If the foreign minister was burning the Koran that would be a bit different
Actually no, Sweden’s views on personal rights are very different from American views. For example, they prosecuted prominent examples of the #MeToo movement for violating the privacy of the targets of its allegations. They place a very high value on the rights of the community, of others, in addition to the individual’s own rights. It is not America.
The Swedish regime didn’t burn a Quran.
Some guy who’s an opponent of both the Swedish and Turkish regimes burned a Quran.
If there’s a guy who doesn’t like you and doesn’t like me, and he sticks a thumb in my eye, that’s not me sticking a thumb in your eye.
This whole freedom of expression thing. It is a dick move to do it, but you have a right to it, and the government can’t stop you.
Because the Russo-Ukrainian-American-NATO war already involves the Black Sea, it is in Turkey’s interest that this war ends today and will not be expanded by adding new NATO members.
If Turkey doesn’t want to open a can of worms, it’s the best decision they have make.
article links:
sweden’s prime minister accused a pro-kurd group of ‘nato membership sabotage’ for hanging an erdogan effigy at a demo;
haven’t seen official criticism of the right wing religious book burning – which swedish courts judged legal, hence aren’t investigating
editor – there’s still a minority swedish antiwar movement against joining nato – and against extraditing kurds – would be helpful to know its public stance on these events
Good news for Swedes. Well the ones with a little common sese anyway.
In retaliation, a Swedish Flag burning protest also took place outside the Swedish embassy in Turkey…!
Ok so what, I doubt the Swedes would get to annoyed by that
Wow how weird is that, one state objects and it doesn’t happen? Maybe joining NATO isn’t as easy as Russia seems to think it is.