OSLO: For security reasons, Norwegian police on Thursday forbade an anti-Islamic demonstration that included burning a copy of the Qur'an this week. This came after the Turkish foreign ministry summoned Norway's ambassador to complain.
According to police, a group of protesters planned to burn a Qur'an outside the Turkish embassy in Oslo on Friday, echoing similar demonstrations that took place in Sweden and Denmark earlier this month.
In Norway, burning the Qur'an is still an acceptable form of political expression. However, due to security concerns, this event cannot take place, according to a statement released by the Oslo police, which cited information it had received.
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According to a source in the Turkish foreign ministry, Ankara strongly denounced the anti-Islam group's plans earlier on Thursday, calling them a "provocative act." The ministry also requested that the demonstration be cancelled. According to the foreign ministry of Norway, Turkiye brought up the upcoming protest during a meeting.
The planned demonstration is neither supported by nor connected to the Norwegian government, according to a ministry spokesperson. "Our ambassador referred to the constitutional right to freedom of expression in Norway," the spokesperson added. A demonstration can only be stopped by the police if there is a risk to the general public.
An anti-immigrant Danish-Swedish politician from the far-right fringe staged a protest last month near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm that included burning a copy of the Qur'an, drawing harsh condemnation from Ankara.
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Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year. However, Turkiye unexpectedly objected, and they have since worked to win that country's support. Sweden announced on Thursday that it would tighten its laws regarding affiliation with terrorist groups.
