Turkey issues travel warning for Europe citing Islamophobia, anti-Turkish protests – National | 24CA News

Turkey issued a journey warning late Saturday for its residents residing in or planning on going to European nations, citing Islamophobia and anti-Turkish demonstrations.

The warning comes after final weekend’s protests in Sweden the place an anti-Islam activist burned the Quran and pro-Kurdish teams protested towards Turkey.

The Turkish overseas ministry urged its residents to take precautions and steer clear of demonstration areas. It additionally mentioned they need to go to native authorities in the event that they face xenophobic or racist assaults.

Turkey strongly condemned far-right activist Rasmus Paludan’s burning of the Quran in Stockholm, which he repeated in Copenhagen Friday. Ankara additionally summoned the Dutch ambassador after one other far-right activist tore pages of the Quran within the Hague.

The Turkish authorities additionally mentioned there was a rise in anti-Turkish protests by “groups with links to terror groups” — a reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency towards Turkey. Pro-Kurdish teams have been demonstrating in Sweden, waving the flags of the PKK and its associates. The protests are a response to Sweden and Finland’s promise to stop the PKK’s actions of their nations so as to acquire Turkey’s approval for his or her NATO bids.

Following the protests, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden to not count on assist for its membership bid for the navy alliance. Turkey additionally indefinitely postponed a key assembly in Brussels that will have mentioned Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership.

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Earlier Saturday, earlier than Turkey had issued its journey warning, the Nordic nations individually issued up to date journey pointers for Turkey. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden urged their residents visiting Turkey to keep away from giant gatherings and to train warning.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry mentioned in a message on its web site that Sweden’s embassy in Ankara stays closed to the general public and guests to the nation’s consulate common in Istanbul are “requested to exercise vigilance.”

“We want to make Swedes in Turkey aware that further manifestations may occur,” the Swedish ministry mentioned, referring to counter-protests that erupted in Turkey after final weekend’s occasions in Stockholm.

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