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Reuters
Reuters
World

Protests in Stockholm, including Koran-burning, draw strong condemnation from Turkey

A demonstration against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Sweden?s NATO bid, arranged by the Kurdish Democratic Society Center at Norra Bantorget in Stockholm, Sweden, January 21, 2023. Christine Olsson/TT News Agency/via REUTERS

Protests in Stockholm on Saturday against Turkey and Sweden's bid to join NATO, including the burning of a copy of the Koran, sharply heightened tensions with Turkey at a time when the Nordic country needs Ankara's backing to gain entry to the military alliance.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book ... Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

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