Turkey cancels planned visit of Swedish defense minister

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey on Saturday canceled a planned visit by Sweden’s defense minister in response to the Scandinavian country’s allowing anti-Turkish protests.

This is the latest backlash from Turkey, a NATO member, which is delaying approval of Sweden’s bid to join the military alliance until the Swedish government cracks down on groups Ankara considers a security threat.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the visit of his Swedish counterpart Paul Johnson, scheduled for January 27, will not take place. He said the visit no longer has “any meaning or meaning” because Sweden continues to allow “disgusting” demonstrations against Turkey.

Sweden is gearing up for several demonstrations this weekend. A Danish far-right activist has received police permission to protest outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, where he intends to burn the Quran, Islam’s holy book. Meanwhile, both pro-Turkish and pro-Kurdish groups are planning demonstrations in the Swedish capital.

On Friday, Turkey summoned the Swedish ambassador to denounce the protests, saying protests by pro-Kurdish groups affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, would be in violation of a joint memorandum signed between Turkey, Sweden and Finland that prevented a Turkish veto for the Nordic countries to join. NATO in June Turkey, the United States and the European Union consider the PKK a terrorist group, and in the memorandum Sweden and Finland said they also “confirm” this designation.

Earlier in January, an effigy of the Turkish president was hung from a lamppost during a Kurdish protest. Turkey condemned the Swedish prosecutor’s decision not to investigate, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the protest an act of “sabotage” against Sweden’s NATO bid. Earlier this week, Turkey summoned the Swedish ambassador and canceled a visit by the speaker of the Swedish parliament in response to the incident.

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