ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The Swedish ambassador was summoned to Turkey’s foreign ministry over “insulting content” about President Tayyip Erdogan aired on Swedish state television, Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu Agency said on Wednesday.
Ambassador Staffan Herrstrom was told that the “impertinent and ugly expression and images” about Erdogan and Turkey were unacceptable, according to Anadolu.
The move came as a Swedish delegation was expected in Ankara to discuss details about the extradition of people Turkey regards as terrorists, which Ankara says is a condition to approve Sweden and Finland’s bids to join NATO.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, asked about the reaction to the episode on a satirical TV show that angered Ankara, told reporters: “I believe what’s important for Turkey is of course that we live up to the agreement that we have, and measures have also been taken in Sweden and in Finland.”
(Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen and Ece Toksabay, additional reporting by Anna Ringstrom in Stockholm; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Mark Heinrich)
