ASSOCIATED PRESS
People set fire to a photograph of far-right activist Rasmus Paludan at a protest outside the Swedish consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. .
ISTANBUL>> Outrage over a protest against the burning of the Koran in Sweden has produced a day of protests in Turkey, reflecting tensions between the two countries.
About 250 others gathered outside the Swedish consulate in Istanbul, where a photo of Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan was set on fire. Paludan burned Islam’s holy book outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, sparking protests in Istanbul and Ankara that night.
Participants in Sunday’s event carried green flags with the Islamic proclamation of the religion and a banner reading “We condemn Islamophobia supported by the Swedish state. “A sign in a window of the Swedish consulate read: fool who burns books.
The protests have reignited concerns that Turkey is delaying Sweden and Finland’s application for the NATO club. Turkey has yet to ratify the club of Nordic nations in the military alliance, saying Sweden will have to deal with Ankara’s security considerations.
Turkish officials have criticized Sweden for allowing the protest against the burning of the Koran, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not comment on it in his weekend speeches.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson tweeted last Saturday that freedom of expression was for democracy, but added that “what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. “
“For many, burning holy books is a deeply disrespectful act. I need to express my sympathy to all Muslims who are angry about what happened today in Stockholm,” Kristersson said.
Mustafa Demircan, one of those who demonstrated in Istanbul on Sunday, said the act of burning the Koran does not deserve to be considered an act through the right to freedom of expression.
Protesters also piled up outside the Swedish embassy in Ankara for a moment. In the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, men raised the Koran after prayers at a mosque and chanted “God is great” in videos shared online. More demonstrations were planned for Sunday night.
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