Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Sweden that it should not expect Turkey's backing to join the NATO following the burning of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.
"Those who allow such disgraceful acts in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm can't expect good news from us on NATO membership," Erdogan said on Monday at a press conference after the cabinet meeting.
No individual has the freedom to insult the faith of Muslims or other religions, he was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.
Saturday's burning of a copy of the Quran by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, came at a time when Sweden, along with Finland, was seeking Turkey's backing to join NATO.
The bid has been blocked by the Turkish government, which accuses Sweden and Finland of supporting anti-Turkey groups.
The Nordic states have pledged to support Turkey's fight against terrorism and agreed to address Ankara's pending deportation or extradition requests for "terror" suspects. But the Turkish parliament has not ratified their membership yet.
--IANS
int/sha
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app