Turkish FM Summons Swedish Ambassador Over Planned Burning of Quran – Source
Quran
InternationalIndiaAfricaANKARA (Sputnik) – Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Swedish ambassador in connection with the upcoming action of burning the Quran in Stockholm, a diplomatic source in Ankara told Sputnik. Media reported on Friday that the leader of the far-right Danish political party Stram Kurs, Rasmus Paludan, had received permission to burn a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, January 21. “Having learned that tomorrow the burning of our Holy Book of the Quran will be allowed near our embassy in Stockholm in Sweden, the Swedish ambassador in Ankara was summoned to our ministry today,” the diplomatic source told Sputnik on Friday. The source added that insult to sacred values cannot be defended under the guise of “democratic rights” and the Turkish foreign ministry strongly condemns such provocative acts and is waiting for Sweden to withdraw the permission for the burning of the Quran. The diplomatic source also told Sputnik that on Saturday, groups linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), labeled as terrorist by Ankara, were planning to hold a demonstration in central Stockholm on Saturday. “Allowing the propaganda activities of terrorist organizations and their supporters is a clear violation of the trilateral memorandum [on security threats] signed [by Turkey, Sweden and Finland] in Madrid [on June 28, 2022],” the source said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week that Ankara expected Sweden to take specific steps against the PKK, rather than just condemn protests of its members and supporters in Stockholm. 
MilitaryTurkey Scolds Sweden Over Hanged Erdogan Effigy in Stockholm13 January, 05:24 GMTEarlier in January, PKK supporters held a demonstration in the Swedish capital, hanging a figure of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by its feet. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador to Ankara in protest of the PKK rally. In addition, the Turkish Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case in connection with the demonstration.