Neelam Rahim / neelam@radioislam.co.za

2 min read
24 January 2023 / 23:15 pm CAT

Turkey has condemned a demonstration involving the burning of Qur’ans in Sweden on Saturday, further inflaming tensions between the two countries amid Stockholm’s NATO bid.

In an interview with Radio Islam International, an Ankara-based International Relations expert, Muhammed Koçak, shares the context of what has transpired, back to Sweden’s bid to join NATO and why Turkey had opposed this.

Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952, while Sweden is not a NATO member. According to Koçak, after Russia invaded Ukraine and Finland, Sweden also started entertaining the idea of NATO membership. The membership has to be approved by NATO members, including Turkey.

Turkey has the second largest army in the entire NATO allies and is a very important member. Koçak said Turkey welcomes the idea of Sweden and Finland’s membership as it would strengthen the alliance. However, there is a certain level of respect Turkey has outlined for Sweden to meet regarding security priority.

Meanwhile, in a separate event, the man doing the despicable act of burning the Holy Quran is a known Politician from Denmark, as per Koçak.

According to Koçak, the Denmark politician rides on the feeling in an attempt to get attention from which Turkey has denied membership of Sweden into NATO.

“Sweden is enabling this attempt to incite hatred,” he says

Listen to the interview with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and Muhammed Koçak on Radio Islam’s podcast.