The relationship between Sweden and Turkey is tense after the Danish-Swedish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan lit a Koran outside the Turkish embassy on Saturday. The burning of the Koran has led to condemnation in several Arab countries, and in many places people have protested and burned Swedish flags. In Indonesia, the Swedish ambassador has been called on the carpet, reports SVT. Protesters gathered outside Sweden’s embassy in Ankara on Tuesday. Photo: Burhan Ozbilici / AP On Tuesday, the Swedish Foreign Ministry also announced that the embassy in Ankara would remain closed because demonstrations had been announced in the city. This is happening while Sweden, together with Finland, is in the middle of an application process to join NATO. On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Sweden cannot count on getting Turkish support for the application. Finland will apply regardless. According to the plan, there should have been a meeting between Turkey and the two new applicant countries for NATO in February. But on Tuesday, several news agencies reported that the meeting has been postponed indefinitely. Certain government-friendly mediums write that the meeting has been cancelled. At the same time, Finland has made it clear that it wants to continue the search process, even if there should not be a solution to the Swedish knot. Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto during a press conference on Tuesday, where he commented on the deadlocked situation between Sweden and Turkey in connection with the search process for NATO. Photo: LEHTIKUVA / Reuters Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told YLE on Tuesday morning that the main goal is to enter NATO together with Sweden, but that they would have to consider alternatives if the process were to drag out.
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Sweden closes its embassy in Turkey after protests – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
