"Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate. Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm today," Kristersson wrote on Twitter.
On Saturday, Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the right-wing Danish political party Stram Kurs, burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm after receiving a relevant permission from the authorities. The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the act, calling it a "vile attack" on the holy book and "another example of the alarming level that Islamophobia and, racist and discriminatory movements have reached in Europe."
The recent Quran burning was also condemned by the foreign ministries of several Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier in January, the supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), labeled as terrorist in Ankara, held a demonstration in the Swedish capital, hanging an effigy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by its feet. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador to Ankara in protest of the PKK rally. In addition, the Turkish Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case in connection with the demonstration.
On January 15, Erdogan said that Sweden and Finland needed to extradite about 130 terrorists to Turkey if they wanted the Turkish parliament to ratify their NATO bids. On Saturday, Turkey unilaterally canceled the upcoming visit of Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson to Ankara, where he was supposed to discuss Stockholm's application for NATO membership.