Turkey tells Sweden not to expect support for NATO bid

On January 22nd, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Sweden should not expect Turkey’s support for its NATO membership.
The announcement comes after a protest near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the weekend, including the burning of a copy of the Koran.
“Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our embassy can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership,” Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting.
“The outrageous act in Sweden is an insult to anyone who respects people’s fundamental rights and freedoms, especially Muslims,” he added.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs remarked on the situation: “it is unacceptable to characterize this despicable racist act, which includes a hate crime, as freedom of thought and expression. We expect the Swedish authorities to take immediate action.”