Neo-Nazi movements leading to increased Islamophobia: Çavuşoğlu

Turkey on Tuesday criticized a Swedish far-right politician for burning the Muslim holy book Quran and said such "neo-Nazi movements have led to increased Islamophobia."

Urging to work and collaborate against any form of racism and anti-Islam rhetoric, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in a joint presser with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto said attacks on mosques and the burning of the Quran do not have anything to do with freedom of expression.

On Thursday, Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) group, burned a copy of the Muslim holy book in Sweden's southern Linkoping city, according to media reports.

Paludan also threatened to burn copies of the Quran during extremist rallies.

Following the provocation, protests have continued in parts of the country, the Swedish daily Expressen reported.

Three people were injured Sunday in Sweden's eastern city of Norrkoping when police reportedly fired on rioters during protests against the burning of the Holy Quran.

Earlier, Çavuşoğlu also attended a groundbreaking ceremony of the new building of the Hungarian Embassy in Ankara.

IT COULD TAKE "DOZENS OF YEARS" TO RESTORE TRUST BETWEEN WEST AND RUSSIA

Turkey warned that it could take "dozens of years" to restore trust between the West and Russia following Moscow's decision to invade Ukraine.

"Of course, we are seeing the start of a new Cold War," FM Çavuşoğlu told a joint media appearance with his visiting Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto.

"It will take a long time to make up for it. It may take dozens of years to restore trust, but we believe that swift steps should be taken for a ceasefire."

Turkey, which has enjoyed warm relations with both Russia and Ukraine, has been trying to mediate an end to the nearly two-month conflict.

As a NATO member, it has supplied Kyiv with combat drones but has shied away from joining Western sanctions against Moscow.

Turkey has hosted two rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the past, blaming allegations of Russian atrocities in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and a missile attack on a train station in Kramatorsk for a breakdown in the peace process.

"Despite the changing circumstances in the field, we believe there is still a chance for diplomacy to work," Çavuşoğlu said.