Alert concerns churches, synagogues and diplomatic missions that could be targeted after Quran desecrations in Europe
The U.S. Embassy in Turkey issued a warning on Monday of possible terror attacks on churches, synagogues and diplomatic missions after Qurans were burned in Europe. This is the second warning issued by Washington in the past four days. The alert issued specifies that “possible imminent retaliatory attacks by terrorists” could occur in the main tourist areas of Istanbul, such as Beyoglu, Galata, Taksim and Istiklal and adds that the Turkish authorities are currently conducting an investigation.
On Friday, the embassies of the United States, Germany, France, Italy and several other countries in Turkey issued security alerts warning of possible retaliatory attacks on places of worship. It could be a reaction to the fact that the holy book of Muslims, the Koran, has been burned in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands in recent weeks.
Ankara also warned its citizens on Saturday against “possible Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks” in Europe and the United States. On Tuesday, Turkey summoned the Dutch ambassador after an Islamophobic activist desecrated a copy of the Koran in The Hague. On Friday, it was the Danish ambassador who was in turn summoned after the Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist, Rasmus Paludan, burned a Koran near a mosque in Copenhagen, then in front of the Turkish embassy in Denmark, before doing the same in front of the Turkish Embassy in Sweden .
These events have led Turkey to postpone planned NATO accession negotiations with Sweden and Finland regarding support for their candidacy to join the Atlantic Alliance.