Erdogan To Sweden: Don't Expect Turkish Support For NATO Bid After Stockholm Protest

A puppet of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is hung by its feet during a demonstration in Stockholm on January 12.

Sweden should not expect Turkey's support for its NATO membership after a protest near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm over the weekend including the burning of a copy of the Koran, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on January 23. Protests in Stockholm against Turkey and against Sweden's bid to join NATO, during which a copy of the Koran was burned, have heightened tensions with Turkey, whose backing Sweden needs to gain entry to the military alliance. "Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our embassy can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership," Erdogan said in a speech after a cabinet meeting. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.