Sweden Shouldn’t Expect Turkey Support in NATO Bid, Erdogan Says

Turkey won’t support Sweden’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, venting anger at burning of Islam’s holy book in the Swedish capital of Stockholm.

“If you cannot show this respect, then sorry but you will not see any support from us on the NATO issue,” Erdogan said in Ankara, speaking after a cabinet meeting. “Don’t expect such support from us,” Erdogan said, referring to Turkey’s stance on the prospective membership of Sweden and Finland in the military alliance.

An agreement reached at the NATO summit in Madrid in June allowed Sweden and Finland’s membership bids to move ahead. But Turkey refused to ratify the bids and its position has changed little since then.