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GENOCIDE

Anti Swedish protests continue in Turkey

Diplomatic efforts are underway to mend a rift between Sweden and Turkey, caused by the Swedish parliament's decision to recognize the mass killing of Armenians and other ethnic groups in 1915 as genocide.

Published: 14 March 2010 13:25 CET

The Swedish ambassador to Turkey, Christer Asp, said protests were still underway on Saturday in some cities, following large demonstrations outside the Swedish consulate in Istanbul on Friday.

He added that his post box was over flowing with hate mail and letters indicating Swedish business interests have been affected by the dispute.

“Some of the letters are formulated in such a way that I could not repeat them in public. They are not threats but they’re not saying anything nice about Sweden, if you know what I mean,” he told the news agency TT.

Swedish foreign minister, Carl Bildt, has condemned the parliament’s vote.

“These kinds of decisions tend to increase tensions rather than reduce them,” he told news agency Reuters.

Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has also assured his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he did not agree with the paliament’s decision – which was supported by four parliamentarians who are members of his governing centre right coalition.

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ISLAM

Erdogan calls French separatism bill ‘guillotine’ of democracy

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday denounced a planned French law designed to counter "Islamist separatism" as a "guillotine" of democracy.

Published: 13 May 2021 15:01 CEST
Erdogan calls French separatism bill 'guillotine' of democracy
Erdogan has already denounced the proposed measures as "anti-Muslim". Photo: Adem ALTAN/AFP

The draft legislation has been criticised both inside France and abroad for stigmatising Muslims and giving the state new powers to limit speech and religious groups.

“The adoption of this law, which is openly in contradiction of human rights, freedom of religion and European values, will be a guillotine blow inflicted on French democracy,” said Erdogan in a speech in Ankara.

The current version of the planned law would only serve the cause of extremism, putting NGOs under pressure and “forcing young people to choose between their beliefs and their education”, he added.

READ ALSO: What’s in France’s new law to crack down on Islamist extremism?

“We call on the French authorities, and first of all President (Emmanuel) Macron, to act sensibly,” he continued. “We expect a rapid withdrawal of this bill.”

Erdogan also said he was ready to work with France on security issues and integration, but relations between the two leaders have been strained for some time.

France’s government is in the process of passing new legislation to crack down on what it has termed “Islamist separatism”, which would give the state more power to vet and disband religious groups judged to be threats to the nation.

Erdogan has already denounced the proposed measures as “anti-Muslim”.

READ ALSO: Has Macron succeeded in creating an ‘Islam for France’?

Last October, Erdogan questioned Macron’s “mental health”, accusing him of waging a “campaign of hatred” against Islam, after the French president defended the right of cartoonists to caricature the prophet Mohammed.

The two countries are also at odds on a number of other issues, including Libya, Syria and the eastern Mediterranean.

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