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Right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm (January 21)
Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT/EPA
Turkey has again summoned an ambassador from a western country for Islamophobic actions.
The Danish ambassador was appointed to the foreign ministry because "an attack on the Koran" was allowed in front of the Turkish embassy, the Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported.
Right-wing extremist politician and provocateur Rasmus Paludan followed up with action after announcing in the Swedish daily Aftonbladet that he intended to burn copies of the Koran every Friday from now on until Sweden was in NATO.
He set fire to a Koran in front of a mosque in northwest Copenhagen, the Danish news agency Ritzau reported.
Around 50 police officers were on site.
Originally from Denmark, Paludan also holds Swedish citizenship.
Unlike in Sweden, according to Aftonbladet, he does not need a permit for such rallies in Denmark, he only has to report them to the authorities 24 hours in advance.
The Danish ambassador had already been summoned before the cremation.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry wrote about the action afterwards, condemning the repeated "hate crime" by an "Islamophobic charlatan" that had not been prevented.
Such failure to act would trample on "universal values" and provoke racist attacks.
Danish Foreign Minister responds to summons
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen tried to smooth things over.
In an email to Reuters news agency, he wrote that Denmark's task now is to show Turkey about his country's open democracy and that there is a difference between Denmark as a country and individuals with widely differing opinions, Rasmussen wrote.
In recent weeks, several actions in western countries have sparked outrage in Turkey.
In Stockholm, for example, activists hung a doll resembling Erdoğan by its feet, and Paludan then burned the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in the Swedish capital.
As a result, Turkey canceled a meeting with Sweden and Finland, both of which want to join the military alliance.
Admission requires ratification by all NATO countries.
However, Turkey refuses and is making demands for their approval.
Turkey and Hungary are the only members who have not yet agreed to enlargement.
Sol/dpa/Reuters
