Sweden's NATO hopes fade as Erdogan slams demos

Istanbul [Turkey], June 29: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed in a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday that Sweden should not expect a green light from Turkey for its NATO accession anytime soon.
According to a statement from the Turkish communications office, Erdogan said to Scholz that although Stockholm had been taking steps in the right direction, there were still "unacceptable" circumstances.
These, he said, included the authorisation of demonstrations at which "terror propaganda" was being spread.
Islamophobic protests in Sweden have caused considerable tensions between Stockholm and Ankara in recent months.
On Wednesday, two men took part in a protest involving burning a Koran outside a mosque in the centre of Stockholm. The protest was authorised by Swedish police.
On the same day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was doing his best to ease tensions and reassure Sweden that it was working to secure its accession to the military alliance.
Stoltenberg said at a press conference with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas that he was working to set up a meeting between foreign ministers, intelligence chiefs and national security advisers of Turkey, Sweden and Finland for a week from Thursday.
Sweden's NATO membership application, which it submitted more than a year ago along with Finland, is still being blocked by alliance members Turkey and Hungary.
New members must be approved unanimously by all existing NATO members.
Source: Qatar Tribune