Diyanet to send letters over Quran burning in Sweden

ANKARA

Türkiye’s top religious official will send letters to many countries around the world over Sweden’s permission for a planned burning of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.

“The Directorate of Religious Affairs [Diyanet] will announce this provocation to the whole world and will take action,” Ali Erbaş told the media in the capital Ankara, condemning the Swedish authorities.

The directorate will write letters to various representations in Europe regarding the incident, he informed, adding that it will take this case to court in different countries through its foreign representations.

Religious affairs officials of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation are also expected to address the issue at their meeting on Jan. 25.

Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line), burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Jan. 21.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued two condemnations against Sweden the same day in reaction to the burning of the holy book and allowing PKK-affiliated anti-Türkiye protests near the embassy.

In response to Sweden’s “permission to the provocation,” Ankara has canceled Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson’s upcoming visit to Türkiye.

The ministry also summoned Sweden’s Ambassador to Ankara Staffan Herström to express the Turkish government’s reaction against the terror acts in Stockholm.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop, cabinet members and government officials have all lashed out at Sweden in their separate statements over the weekend.

The Diyanet has instructed Imams to recite the Quran in all the Turkish mosques on Jan. 22, while some religious groups in Istanbul protested Sweden in front of the Swedish Consulate in downtown Istanbul.