2 years ago

Türkiye postpones trilateral talks with Sweden, Finland after Quran burning

The meeting that was to take place in Brussels in February was postponed to a later date at Ankara's request, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

TRTWorld

Sources from Ankara did not specify when the meeting would take place.

Türkiye has postponed a trilateral meeting with Sweden and Finland over the Nordic countries' NATO bid scheduled for February after the Swedish government allowed an anti-Muslim provocateur to burn a copy of the Quran in Stockholm.

The recent provocative act against Muslims by Rasmus Paludan, leader of Denmark’s far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party, took place in front of the Turkish Embassy in the Swedish capital over the weekend.

The meeting that was to take place in Brussels in February was postponed to a later date at Ankara's request, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

The sources did not specify when the meeting would take place.

On Monday, President Tayyip Erdogan said that Sweden should not expect Türkiye's support for its NATO membership after the incident.

"Those who caused such a disgrace in front of our embassy should not expect any benevolence from us regarding their NATO membership applications," Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

NATO applications

Erdogan said if Sweden "does not show respect to the religious beliefs" of Muslims in Türkiye and around the world, it will not receive any support from Ankara for its NATO bid.

Türkiye had also previously demanded the extradition of more than 100 wanted individuals from Sweden.

On Tuesday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he wants Stockholm to return to "dialogue" with Ankara on NATO. He said failure to join NATO would have security consequences for Sweden.

Earlier in the day, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto suggested that his country may have to join NATO without Sweden.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO in May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Any country joining NATO requires the unanimous approval of member states.

But Türkiye – a NATO member for more than 70 years – voiced objections, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting terror groups, including the PKK.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Sweden and Finland had previously committed to joining the alliance together.