Türkiye won’t say ‘yes’ to Sweden for NATO: Erdoğan

Türkiye will not approve Sweden’s bid to join NATO as long as it continues to permit those who burn the Quran, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, repeating Ankara’s favorable position for Finland’s application to the alliance.

“Sweden, don’t even bother! We cannot say ‘yes’ to your joining NATO as long as you continue to allow burning and tearing my sacred book, the Quran,” President Erdoğan said in his weekly address to the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) parliamentary group on Feb. 1.

Erdoğan referred to an ultra-rightist Danish politician who burned the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm in January that created wide-spread anger in Türkiye and in some other Muslim countries. Ankara has slammed the Swedish government for allowing such an incident and suspended talks for Sweden’s joining of NATO.

Sweden and Finland applied to join the alliance in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and signed a memorandum of understanding with Türkiye which stipulates them to cooperate with the Turkish government in the fight against terror.

“Our stance concerning Finland is positive, but not positive for Sweden,” Erdoğan said. Türkiye and Hungary are the two allies who are yet to ratify the two Nordic states’ bid to enter the alliance. Erdoğan has signaled that the Turkish parliament may ratify Finland’s application as Helsinki has fulfilled its commitments. Finland says it wants to join the alliance together with Sweden.