Türkiye to stage action of respect for Quran in Stockholm

An "action of reverence for the Quran [Koran]" will be held outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on January 24.

The head of the Turkish Religious Affairs Department Ali Erbash made the remarks, Anadolu reports.

"An action of respect for the Quran will be held on January 24 in front of the Turkish embassy, at the place where the Quran was desecrated," Erbash said on the TRT Haber TV channel.

According to him, surahs from the Holy Book of Muslims with explanations and translations into the Turkish, Swedish and English will be read out as part of the program.

"Our task is to eliminate evil, to turn it into good. Muslims should always remain vigilant, read, understand, protect and respect our holy book. We must instil this spirit in our children and youth," he said.

On January 21, the leader of the Danish right-wing extremist party Hard Course Rasmus Paluda committed an anti-Islamic provocation outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. The radical publicly burned the holy book for Muslims - the Quran.

In response to the actions of the Swedish authorities, Ankara cancelled the Swedish defence minister's visit to the country.

Swedish Ambassador to Ankara Staffan Herrström was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, where he was strongly protested over the Swedish authorities' authorisation to hold a Quran burning rally in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.

Along with the Turkish government, leading opposition parties condemned the burning of the Quran.

The fact that Swedish authorities granted permission to stage an act of the Quran desecration elicited a strong negative reaction from many Islamic countries.