00:52Turkey: ‘Sweden, do not make a pointless effort’ - Erdogan says Ankara will not approve NATO bid while Quran-burning allowed
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey wouldn’t approve Sweden's NATO membership bid while the country continued to allow the burning of the Quran, during the AK Party's group meeting at the parliament in Ankara on Wednesday.
“We closely follow developments regarding NATO's enlargement process. Sweden, do not make a pointless effort," he stated.
"We will not say ‘yes’ to your entry into NATO as long as you allow our Holy book, the Quran, to be burned and torn apart as well as allow this to be done with your security personnel. And our view on Finland is positive, but not on Sweden,” he continued.
Earlier on Monday, Erdogan also said that 'Sweden will be shocked' when Turkey 'gives a different message about Finland', during his speech at a meeting with young people in Bilecik.
Danish politician Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Hard Line party, set fire to a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, January 21. Sweden’s authorities said the actions were legal under free speech laws.
Paludan repeated his actions outside a mosque in Copenhagen last Friday.
Turkey’s government cancelled NATO accession talks with Sweden and Finland following the incident in Stockholm, while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the Quran-burning as an attempt to 'sabotage' the discussions.
Both countries require Ankara’s support, as Turkey remains one of two NATO countries - along with Hungary - yet to approve the membership bids. Erdogan has also previously called for the Nordic nations to do more to tackle Kurdish groups Ankara considers to be 'terrorists'.
00:52President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey wouldn’t approve Sweden's NATO membership bid while the country continued to allow the burning of the Quran, during the AK Party's group meeting at the parliament in Ankara on Wednesday.
“We closely follow developments regarding NATO's enlargement process. Sweden, do not make a pointless effort," he stated.
"We will not say ‘yes’ to your entry into NATO as long as you allow our Holy book, the Quran, to be burned and torn apart as well as allow this to be done with your security personnel. And our view on Finland is positive, but not on Sweden,” he continued.
Earlier on Monday, Erdogan also said that 'Sweden will be shocked' when Turkey 'gives a different message about Finland', during his speech at a meeting with young people in Bilecik.
Danish politician Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Hard Line party, set fire to a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, January 21. Sweden’s authorities said the actions were legal under free speech laws.
Paludan repeated his actions outside a mosque in Copenhagen last Friday.
Turkey’s government cancelled NATO accession talks with Sweden and Finland following the incident in Stockholm, while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the Quran-burning as an attempt to 'sabotage' the discussions.
Both countries require Ankara’s support, as Turkey remains one of two NATO countries - along with Hungary - yet to approve the membership bids. Erdogan has also previously called for the Nordic nations to do more to tackle Kurdish groups Ankara considers to be 'terrorists'.