Sweden Should Not Expect Türkiye Support for NATO Membership after Protest, Says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Sweden's new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, in Ankara, Türkiye, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Sweden's new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, in Ankara, Türkiye, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP)
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Sweden Should Not Expect Türkiye Support for NATO Membership after Protest, Says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Sweden's new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, in Ankara, Türkiye, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Sweden's new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, in Ankara, Türkiye, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP)

Sweden should not expect Türkiye’s support for its NATO membership after a protest near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the weekend including the burning of a copy of the holy Quran, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

"Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our embassy (in Stockholm) can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership," Erdogan said in a speech after a cabinet meeting.

Protests in Stockholm on Saturday against Türkiye and against Sweden's bid to join NATO, during which a copy of the Quran was burned, have heightened tensions with Türkiye, whose backing Sweden needs to gain entry to the military alliance.

The Quran-burning was carried out by Rasmus Paludan, leader of Danish far-right political party Hard Line. Paludan, who also has Swedish citizenship, has held a number of demonstrations in the past where he has burned the Quran.

Several Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait denounced the incident.

Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but all 30 member states must approve their bids.

Ankara has previously said Sweden in particular must first take a clearer stance against what it sees as terrorists, mainly Kurdish militants and a group it blames for a 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye.

"If you love members of terrorist organizations and enemies of Islam so much and protect them, then we advise you to seek their support for your countries' security," Erdogan also said.

Türkiye had already summoned Sweden's ambassador about the incident, cancelled a planned visit by Swedish defense minister to Ankara and strongly condemned the event.



Israel Launches Communications Satellite from Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifts off at Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center before the launch of Axiom Space Axiom Mission on June 25, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images/AFP
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifts off at Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center before the launch of Axiom Space Axiom Mission on June 25, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images/AFP
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Israel Launches Communications Satellite from Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifts off at Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center before the launch of Axiom Space Axiom Mission on June 25, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images/AFP
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifts off at Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center before the launch of Axiom Space Axiom Mission on June 25, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images/AFP

Israel on Sunday said it had launched a new national communications satellite on board a SpaceX rocket from the United States.

The Dror 1 satellite was blasted into orbit on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the foreign ministry said.

"This $200 million 'smartphone in space' will power Israel's strategic and civilian communications for 15 years," the ministry wrote on X.

Accompanying video footage showed the reusable, two-stage rocket lift off into the night sky. SpaceX said the launch happened at 1:04 am in Florida (0504 GMT Sunday).

IAI, which called the launch "a historic leap for Israeli space technology", said when it announced the project to develop and build Dror 1 that it was "the most advanced communication satellite ever built in Israel".

In September 2016, an unmanned Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a test in Florida, destroying Israel's Amos-6 communications satellite, which was estimated to have cost between $200 and 300 million.