The United States on Monday described as “abhorrent” the act of a far-right Swedish militant who burned a copy of the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, calling it a “deliberate” attempt to derail NATO expansion talks. to the northern country and its neighbor Finland.

“Burning books that are sacred to many is an act of deep disrespect. It’s disgusting,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, Agerpres reports.

Speaking of the act of “provocation”, the spokesman suggested that it was a “deliberate desire to influence the ongoing discussions on the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO” and to “weaken” transatlantic unity.

On Saturday afternoon, right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan, who holds dual Swedish-Danish citizenship, burned a copy of the Koran during a demonstration sanctioned by Swedish police outside the Turkish embassy, ​​angering Ankara.

On Friday, Swedish police admitted that the Constitution and freedom of demonstration and expression in Sweden do not justify banning these demonstrations in the name of public order.

The permission given to the anti-Islam rally sparked a diplomatic row with Turkey, which condemned an “apparent hate crime” and canceled a visit by a Swedish minister scheduled for next week, further complicating Sweden’s NATO membership talks blocked by Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden on Monday not to expect his country’s support for joining NATO.

The American spokesman refused to comment on Erdogan’s statements and confirmed the support of the United States for the two countries’ entry into the North Atlantic Alliance.

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