TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Sweden has been accused by Turkey of not fulfilling its obligations to crack down on “terrorist groups” and weed out their “propaganda” under an agreement signed in exchange for Ankara’s approval to join NATO.
– World news –
The latest diplomatic spat comes after an anti-Islam activist was allowed to burn a copy of the Koran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, RT reported.
“We condemn in the strongest possible way the heinous attack on our holy book,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Allowing this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of ‘freedom of speech’ is completely unacceptable.”
Anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish lawyer who leads the right-wing Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party in Denmark, burned with permission a copy of the holy book at a small demonstration in Stockholm earlier on Saturday. and under heavy police protection, even as the authorities tried to distance themselves from the provocative stunt.
Sweden’s foreign minister Tobias Billström said his country has a “broad freedom of speech, but that does not mean that the Swedish government, or myself, support the views expressed.”
In a separate statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the demonstration as “a flagrant violation of Sweden’s commitment under the Trilateral Memorandum on the Prevention of Propaganda by Terrorist Organizations”, stressing that “declaring to be bound by the commitments… and delivering on them are two different things.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top press aide, Fahrettin Altun, added that “Swedish authorities must wake up to the reality of the terrorist groups’ intention to prevent Sweden’s NATO membership by poisoning their relationship with us.”
Sweden’s foreign minister Tobias Billström said his country has a “broad freedom of speech, but that does not mean that the Swedish government, or myself, support the views expressed.”
In a separate statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the demonstration as “a flagrant violation of Sweden’s commitment under the Trilateral Memorandum on the Prevention of Propaganda by Terrorist Organizations”, stressing that “declaring to be bound by the commitments… and delivering on them are two different things.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top press aide, Fahrettin Altun, added that “Swedish authorities must wake up to the reality of terrorist groups’ intention to prevent Sweden’s NATO membership by poisoning their relationship with us.”
Source: sn.dk