Turkey has summoned the ambassadors of nine Western countries to express its condemnation of the temporary closure of diplomatic missions and the distribution of warnings, writes Reuters.
According to the information provided by sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the diplomats of the US, Sweden, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Great Britain were summoned on the 2nd of February.
In the last two weeks, activists of far-right organizations in Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands have organized actions during which the Quran was burned. This action forced Turkey to stop negotiations aimed at obtaining its consent to the admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO. European countries have condemned these incidents, but at the same time have also indicated that the principles of freedom of speech do not allow such protests to be banned.
In order to admit new members to the alliance, the decision must be approved by all NATO countries.
Last week, France, Germany, Italy, and the US warned their citizens of increased security risks and possible attacks in Turkey.
For security reasons, the diplomatic missions of Germany, France, and the Netherlands are also temporarily closed.
An anonymous official at the Foreign Ministry stated: «Such simultaneous activities do not constitute a proportional and commonsense approach and…only serve the covert agenda of terrorist organizations.» The source also added that the security of all diplomatic missions is maintained in accordance with strict international norms.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has announced that embassies are deploying psychological terror against Turkey.
NATO member Norway banned the planned protest action against Islam on the 2nd of February due to security reasons.
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