Türkiye summons Danish envoy over continued Quran desecration

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned charge d'affaires of Denmark over the continued desecration of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

"The charge d'affaires of Denmark's Embassy in Ankara has once again been summoned to our ministry upon the repetition of this despicable attack today," said the sources on Tuesday, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The sources also said that Türkiye strongly condemned and protested these actions, and once again urged Danish authorities to take the necessary steps to prevent such incidents in the future.

The move came after the burning of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen for the second day in a row.

Türkiye on Monday already summoned the envoys of Denmark and the Netherlands for continued Quran desecration.

Widespread condemnation

Anti-Islam figures and groups in Northern Europe in recent months have repeatedly carried out Quran burnings and similar attempts to desecrate the Muslim holy book, drawing outrage from Muslim countries and the world.

Türkiye has repeatedly called for preventing the acts that target Islam under the "guise of freedom of expression," calling on states that allow and fall short of preventing the "heinous acts" to change their anti-Islam attitudes.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as well denounced the acts of aggression, expressing concern over the continued issuance by authorities in certain countries allowing such action to occur, and their failure to take the necessary measures to prevent the acts.

The European Union has also condemned the aggression against the sanctity of the Quran.

"The EU reiterates its strong and determined rejection of any form of incitement to religious hatred and intolerance," Josep Borrell, the bloc's foreign policy chief, said in a statement in late July.

The United Nations General Assembly last month adopted a resolution deploring violence against holy books by consensus.

It denounced ''all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief, as well as any such acts directed against their religious symbols, holy books, homes, businesses, properties, schools, cultural centres or places of worship, as well as all attacks on and in religious places, sites and shrines in violation of international law."