FOX News: Turkey's Erdogan to Sweden: ‘Don't even bother’ with NATO bid if Quran-burning is allowed
All NATO members except Turkey and Hungary have signed off on Sweden, Finland joining organization
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Sweden Wednesday to "don’t even bother" with trying to join NATO as long as the European country allows protests desecrating Islam’s holy book.
Erdogan made the remark in a speech to his ruling party’s legislators as Turkey remains infuriated by a series of demonstrations in Stockholm by activists who have burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy and hanged an effigy of Erdogan.
"Sweden, don't even bother! As long as you allow my holy book, the Quran, to be burned and torn, and you do so together with your security forces, we will not say ‘yes’ to your entry into NATO," Erdogan said, according to The Associated Press.
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WNU Editor: Sweden is trying to placate Turkey .... Sweden Nears Tighter Terrorism Law as Turkey Stalls NATO Bid (Bloomberg).
Update: Both Sweden and Finland say they are still committed to joining NATO .... Finland, Sweden Committed to Joint NATO Accession, Prime Ministers Say (Reuters).
Turkish President Erdogan continues To Rebuke Sweden's Attempts To Join NATO
Erdogan: Sweden can’t join NATO if Quran-burning is allowed -- AP
Erdogan says Turkey positive on Finland's NATO bid, not Sweden's -- Reuters
Turkey's Erdogan again rebukes Sweden over NATO bid -- DW
Can Turkey's Erdogan decouple Finland's and Sweden's NATO bids? -- Al-Monitor