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- NATO Membership-Dont expect our backing-Turkey warned Sweden
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The aftermath of the burning of Quran in Sweden has infuriated Turkey so much so that the Turkish president has now warned Sweden not to expect his country's backing for NATO membership. “Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our embassy [in Stockholm] can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership,” Erdogan said on Monday, in his first official response to the act by a far-right politician during a protest on the weekend that was approved by the Swedish police.
Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members not to have ratified the Nordic neighbours’ historic decision to break their tradition of military non-alignment in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has promised that his parliament would approve the two bids next month.
Pre Birthday interview: Birthday Party of Haija Faidat Sarumi AkintundeBut Erdogan has dug in his heels heading into a close election in which he is trying to energise his nationalist electoral base.
“If you do not show respect to the religious beliefs of the Republic of Turkiye or Muslims, you will not receive any support for NATO [membership] from us,” he said, calling the Quran burning an attack on 85 million Turkish citizens.
- 2023-01-24 06:01:36
