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Turkish protestors are continuing to demonstrate for the second consecutive day in response to a Swedish activist’s burning of a copy of the Quran as a sign of protest against Islam and immigrants in the country.
The act of burning the Quran is considered as a disrespectful and inflammatory move, and it’s deeply offended the Muslim community and Turkey as well. The Turkish Foreign Ministry has issued a statement condemning the Quran burning as a “vile” and “disrespectful” attack on Islam and Muslims, and expressing solidarity with the Muslim community in Sweden.
The move has led to a diplomatic spat between Turkey and Sweden and heightened tensions between the two countries. The protestors are calling for the Swedish government to take action against the perpetrator and the hate speech.
Tensions between Sweden and Turkey are escalating as both countries are embroiled in a diplomatic conflict that has led to a series of demonstrations and protests. The situation has been sparked by the actions of Danish activist Rasmus Paludan, who set a copy of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, on fire outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on January 21.
This has led to widespread outrage in Turkey, with people in Ankara and Istanbul taking to the streets to protest against the act and condemn Sweden for what they see as “state-supported Islamophobia”. The Turkish government has summoned the Swedish ambassador to Ankara to protest the incident, and has called on the Swedish government to take action against the perpetrator and to address the issue of rising Islamophobia in the country.
The situation has led to a diplomatic spat between the two countries and has heightened tensions between the two nations.
The tension between Sweden and Turkey has escalated further with Turkey canceling a planned visit by the Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson to Ankara after the Quran-burning incident. Turkey holds the Swedish authorities responsible for allowing the protest to take place in Stockholm.
On January 22nd, protestors in Turkey carried green flags proclaiming their faith along with a banner saying, “We condemn Sweden’s state-supported Islamophobia”. The Swedish Consulate in Ankara also posted a sign on its window that read, “We do not share that book-burning idiot’s view.”
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This diplomatic spat between the two countries has heightened tensions and led to widespread condemnation of the Quran-burning incident, with calls for action to be taken against the perpetrator and to address the issue of rising Islamophobia in the country.
The tension between Sweden and Turkey has been ongoing for some time, with friction arising after Turkey held up Sweden and Finland’s applications to join the NATO alliance. Both the Scandinavian countries applied to join the alliance following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
However, Turkey, already a member of NATO, used its power to hold the applications under certain conditions – such as deporting critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and classifying Kurds as terrorists. The recent Quran-burning incident and resulting protests have likely narrowed the chances of the applications getting ratified, as it has further escalated the tensions between the two countries.
The diplomatic spat and increasing tension between the two countries would certainly make it difficult for the alliance to accept the applications.
In response to the Quran-burning incident, there have been counter-protests in Sweden, where demonstrators have hanged an effigy of the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The act of burning Quran by Rasmus Paludan, the Danish activist, was preceded by a long speech in which he attacked Islam and immigration in Sweden. The protest was heavily guarded by police and about 100 people gathered nearby for a peaceful counter-demonstration.
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The act of burning Quran and the counter-protests has further escalated the tensions between the two countries and has led to widespread condemnation. The incident has also led to a diplomatic spat between the two nations and has highlighted the growing issue of rising Islamophobia in the country.
The tension between Sweden and Turkey has been ongoing for some time, with friction arising after Turkey held up Sweden and Finland’s applications to join the NATO alliance. Both the Scandinavian countries applied to join the alliance following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
However, Turkey, already a member of NATO, used its power to hold the applications under certain conditions – such as deporting critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and classifying Kurds as terrorists. The recent Quran-burning incident and resulting protests have likely narrowed the chances of the applications getting ratified, as it has further escalated the tensions between the two countries.
The diplomatic spat and increasing tension between the two countries would certainly make it difficult for the alliance to accept the applications. The Swedish Foreign minister Tobias Billström has condemned the Quran burning, saying that “Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm today.”
Turkish President Erdogan has not commented on the incident so far.
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