ISTANBUL — Turkey issued a journey warning on Saturday evening for its residents residing in or planning to go to European international locations, citing Islamophobia and anti-Turkish protests.
The warning comes after protests final weekend in Sweden, the place an anti-Islam activist burned the Koran and pro-Kurdish teams protested in opposition to Turkey.
Turkey’s International Ministry urged its residents to take precautions and avoid demonstration areas. He additionally mentioned they need to go to native authorities in the event that they face xenophobic or racist assaults.
Turkey strongly condemned the burning of the Koran in Stockholm by far-right activist Rasmus Paludan, which he repeated in Copenhagen on Friday. Ankara additionally summoned the Dutch ambassador after one other far-right activist tore up pages of the Koran in The Hague.
The Turkish authorities additionally mentioned there was an increase in anti-Turkish protests by “teams with ties to terror teams,” a reference to the Kurdistan Staff’ Get together, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in opposition to Turkey. Professional-Kurdish teams have been demonstrating in Sweden, waving the flags of the PKK and its associates. The protests are a response to a pledge by Sweden and Finland to stop PKK actions of their international locations as a way to win Turkey’s approval for his or her NATO bids.
Following the protests, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden to not anticipate help for his bid for the army alliance. Turkey additionally indefinitely postponed a key assembly in Brussels that will have mentioned Swedish and Finnish NATO membership.
The earlier Saturday, earlier than Turkey issued its journey warning, the Nordic international locations individually issued up to date journey tips for Turkey. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden urged their residents visiting Turkey to keep away from giant gatherings and train warning.
The Swedish International Ministry mentioned in a message on its web site that the Swedish embassy in Ankara stays closed to the general public and that guests to the nation’s consulate basic in Istanbul are “requested to train vigilance.”
“We would like the Swedes in Turkey to remember that extra demonstrations might occur,” the Swedish ministry mentioned, referring to the counter-protests that broke out in Turkey after final weekend’s occasions in Stockholm.