Turkey Condemns Quran Burning in Sweden

On Wednesday, the Turkish government denounced the public burning of a Quran in Sweden as despicable. This incident occurred prior to the upcoming meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) scheduled for July 11 in Lithuania.

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"The Swedish authorities, who claim to be allies of Turkey, should put an end to the lawlessness and provocations taking place in their country under the guise of freedom. They should take necessary measures," said Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc, criticizing the Swedish police for allowing the Quran burning in front of a mosque in Stockholm.

He added that freedom of religion and conscience is "the most fundamental human right," emphasizing that insulting beliefs cannot be justified within the realm of freedom of expression.

"No judicial decision can legitimize this insult. This situation cannot be tolerated in any democratic state under the rule of law," he denounced.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan described the Quran burning as "despicable" and highlighted that the act took place on the first day of the Festival of Sacrifice.

"It is unacceptable to allow such anti-Islamic acts under the pretext of freedom of expression. Turning a blind eye to such atrocious acts is complicity with the crime," he stated.

On Wednesday, an individual burned a copy of the Quran after Swedish courts recently lifted a previous ban. The act, attended by around 200 people and heavily policed, proceeded without major incidents, although one person was detained by the police for carrying a stone in hand.

In January, Danish-Swedish far-right activist Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy, a country that continues to block Sweden's entry into NATO.