President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan strongly condemned the desecration of the Quran in Sweden, saying that the hostile act cannot be evaluated under freedom of expression.
"The fact that the desecration of the Quran took place under police protection in Sweden is a calamity," Erdoğan told reporters following a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara on Monday.
He noted that the same way as setting houses of worship, including churches and synagogues is not freedom of expression, there is no such freedom as burning Quran.
Last week, a person identified as Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Muslim holy book under police protection in front of Sweden's Stockholm Central Mosque.
His provocative act was timed to coincide with Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
The act elicited widespread condemnations from across the Islamic world, including Türkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Senegal, Morocco and Mauritania.
Erdogan stressed that racist terrorist attacks target not only Muslims but also Jews, Africans, Asians, and immigrants.
Previously Erdoğan has said that Sweden cannot hope to join NATO, which it applied for after Russia's war on Ukraine began, as long as it gives shelter and a green light for terrorists and supporters of terrorists.
To join NATO, Sweden needs the approval of all of its current members, including Türkiye, which has been in the alliance for over 70 years and boasts its second-largest army.
The president also said Türkiye is following recent developments in France with "deep concern," and hopes current events after the police shooting of the 17-year-old boy will come to an end as soon as possible.
"Türkiye is also concerned that these incidents may lead to a new wave of pressure, intimidation and suppression of Muslims and migrants in France," he said.
"At the root of the events that started in France is the social architecture built by this mentality. Most of the immigrants who are condemned to live in ghettos, who are systematically oppressed, are Muslims."
He also condemned the widespread looting that has accompanied the unrest.
"The streets cannot be used to seek justice. However, it is clear the authorities should also learn from the social explosion," Erdoğan said.
Protests have shaken France since last Tuesday, when a police officer shot Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian descent, during a traffic check in the Paris suburb of Nanterre after he ignored orders to stop.
French police arrested 157 people overnight in nationwide protests over the police killing, local media reported on Monday.
Erdoğan also criticized what he called the “war lobby” for sabotaging Türkiye’s sincere efforts to establish peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The diplomatic efforts, which were initiated with the Istanbul process and proceeded with captive exchanges, have unfortunately been obstructed and eroded by the war lobby,” Erdoğan said, adding that civilians and soldiers paid the price in the end.
He noted that Türkiye has also been targeted by the “war lobby,” without specifying which actors played a part in the lobby.
He continued by saying that if the opportunity was seized back then, the destruction and tears would not have taken place.
Türkiye emerged as a mediator in the war, taking a balanced stance.
Ankara frequently voiced that Russia's war on Ukraine "will not end easily," despite Ankara's repeated efforts to arrange peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Ankara initially aims to broker a humanitarian cease-fire, which would be followed by a permanent cease-fire and subsequent peace talks.
