Turkey has cancelled a visit by Sweden’s defence minister after Stockholm provided a far-right group with a permit to protest in front of its embassy yesterday.
The leader of the group, Rasmus Paludan burnt a Quran during the protest.
Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying that the visit by his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson, scheduled on Jan 27 has “lost its significance and meaning”.
Jonson’s visit to Angkara was aimed at overcoming Turkey’s objections to Sweden’s bid to join the Nato military alliance.
Sweden and Finland needs Turkey’s consent for their bid to join Nato as the alliance requires all its members to agree whenever a new member is to be included.
Both countries had applied to join the Western military alliance due to the war in Ukraine.
Turkey has particularly been hostile towards Sweden’s application as the Scandinavian country hosts a significant number of its dissidents as well as members of Kurdish separatist groups, whom Angkara regards as terrorists.
It was ealier reported that, Turkey announced it had cancelled a visit from Sweden, after an anti-Turkish protest was allowed in Stockholm.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said the talks with his Swedish counterpart Pål Jonson were called off as they had “lost significance and meaning”.
The visit was intended to try and remove Ankara’s objections to Sweden’s NATO bid.
Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist, Rasmus Paludan, was permitted to hold a demonstration on Saturday in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, arousing the ire of Turkey.
Paludan had said he intended to “burn the Quran” in front of the building.
Sweden’s foreign minister Tobias Billström condemned hatred towards Muslims Saturday afternoon, but emphasised there were certain freedoms in his country.
“Islamophobic provocations are appalling,” he tweeted. “Sweden has a far-reaching freedom of expression, but it does not imply that the Swedish Government, or myself, support the opinions expressed.”
READ ALSO: Turkey: Danish envoy summoned over Quran burnings in Sweden
A counter, pro-Turkish protest was also planned at the embassy.
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin condemned the demo, calling it a “hate crime”.
“To allow this action despite all our warnings is to encourage hate crimes and Islamophobia,” he tweeted. “The attack on sacred values is not freedom but modern barbarism.”
Turkey has blocked Sweden’s NATO bid since May in an attempt to get Stockholm to fulfil several political demands, such as deporting critics of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kurds it claims are “terrorists”.
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