The reactions and outrage against the scandalous incident in which a copy of the Quran was burned in front of the Turkish Embassy in Sweden with permission granted by the Swedish government are growing.

State and government officials from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have joined worldwide condemnation of the incident.

President Tatar said “such anachronistic acts are a threat to all of humanity and serves to dynamite world peace.”

With permission from the Swedish government, Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Hard Line party, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday.

President Ersin Tatar who reacted to the incident with a written statement said,  “The act carried out by the leader of the fascist Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party in Denmark, Rasmus Paludan, under the protection of the Swedish police is a manifestation of hostile anger against the beliefs and sacred values ​​of over 2bn people around the world. Such acts cannot be excused by democracy or freedom of expression.”

“Unfortunately, over the past 10 years we have been witnessing concerning increase in politicized xenophobia in European countries, which are considered to be cradles of human rights, democracy and freedom of thought. We have also been witnessing on a larger scale the systematic marginalization of immigrants, hatred, discrimination, enmity and grudge against Islam and Muslims, also known as Islamophobia. Such outdated ways of thinking are a threat to all of humanity and dynamite world peace,” Tatar noted.

President Ersin Tatar called on the Swedish authorities to take immediate action against such perpetrators of such hate crimes.

“Taking these steps is more than a necessity; it is a duty towards world peace, tranquillity and humanity,” President Tatar added.