Turkish Foreign Ministry condemns the burning of the Koran in Sweden

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Turkey condemned the burning of the Koran that took place in Sweden. Press release published on the website of the Foreign Ministry.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the heinous attack on our holy book, the Quran, carried out today (January 21) in Sweden despite our repeated warnings. Allowing this anti-Islamic act against Muslims and insulting our sacred values ​​under the guise of “freedom of expression” is completely unacceptable. This is an open hate crime,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that this act is a confirmation of the level of Islamophobia, racist and discriminatory movements in Europe. The Office called on the Swedish authorities to take action against the perpetrators, and international organizations to take action against Islamophobia.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström in response to the statement of Turkish colleagues wrote on his Twitter account that there is freedom of opinion in the country, but this does not mean that the government supports such opinions. “Islamophobic provocations are terrible,” he said.

January 20 TASS citing sources informedthat the Swedish Ambassador in Ankara was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry in connection with a demonstration planned for January 21 in Stockholm by supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which the Turkish side considers a terrorist organization. The interlocutor of the agency said that burning the Koran at the Turkish embassy was allowed in Stockholm.

January 21 agency reportedthat an action was held in Sweden by the leader of the Hard Deal party, Rasmus Paludan, in which the Koran was publicly burned.