Turkiye Cancels Visit By Swedish DM
Date
1/21/2023 5:06:47 AM
(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) ISTANBUL, Jan 21 (KUNA) -- Ankara has canceled Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson's upcoming visit to Tأ1⁄4rkiye in response to Sweden's permission for a planned burning of the Quran, Islam's holy book, near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, the official Anadolu news agency said on Saturday.
'We regretfully witnessed that no measures were taken as a result of these vile and heinous acts against Tأ1⁄4rkiye and our President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan). Therefore, at this point, the visit of Swedish Defense Minister Jonson to Tأ1⁄4rkiye on January 27 has become meaningless. So we canceled the visit,' Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters on Friday after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein airbase in Germany.
The move announced by Akar came after Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), was given permission to burn the Quran on Saturday outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said he was concerned that the demonstration risks further delaying Tأ1⁄4rkiye's ratification of Sweden's NATO bid. However, he added that it would be 'very inappropriate' for him to call for a person to not be allowed to carry out a demonstration.
Noting that he conveyed his reactions on this issue to Jonson, on the sidelines of meeting in Germany, Akar said it was unacceptable to remain silent, adding: 'It was necessary to take action and take precautions.'
Stressing Tأ1⁄4rkiye's support for NATO's open door policy, Akar added: 'All we want is the fulfillment of the commitments in this memorandum. We expect Sweden and Finland to do their part, their homework.'
The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned Swedish Ambassador to Ankara Staffan Herrstrom, who was told that Tأ1⁄4rkiye 'strongly condemns this provocative act, which is clearly a hate crime, that Sweden's attitude is unacceptable, that Ankara expects the act not to be allowed, and insults to sacred values cannot be defended under the guise of democratic rights.'
Turkiye warned Sweden that allowing propaganda activities that PKK-affiliated circles were preparing to carry out in Stockholm on Saturday was a 'clear violation' of the tripartite deal, according to the Turkish diplomatic sources.
Last week, Tأ1⁄4rkiye called on Sweden to take steps against terror groups after a demonstration in Stockholm, where supporters of the PKK organization hung in effigy by the feet a figure of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then uploaded footage of the provocation along with threats against Tأ1⁄4rkiye and Erdogan. (end)
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