Erdogan says Sweden lost NATO bid support as Turkey fumes at Quran burning

Three days of protests followed a demonstration in Stockholm as President Erdogan says Sweden lost Turkey's support for its NATO accession
YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters burn a portrait of Rasmus Paludan, leader of Danish far-right political party Hard Line, in front of the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul on Jan. 22, 2023, after Paludan, who also has Swedish citizenship, burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. - YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images
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Andrew Wilks
@AndyWilks61

ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Swedish authorities Monday over protests in Sweden.

Turkish reactions to protests in Stockholm — in particular the burning of a Quran by a far-right figure — have shown a growing gulf between the countries as Sweden and Finland try to win Turkey’s support for their NATO membership. The Quran burning by anti-immigrant activist Rasmus Paludan outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm Saturday sparked three days of protests across Turkey. 

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