Swiss diplomat summoned over Turkey embassy closure
The burning of the Koran in Sweden provoked demonstrations outside the Swedish embassy in Ankara, but some countries fear further retaliation.
Ap
The Swiss ambassador to Ankara was among nine diplomats summoned by Turkey to explain why a number of embassies were closed in the face of an assumed terror threat.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Switzerland was among several western European countries that suspended embassy operations on Thursday following “tangible information about an imminent terrorist attack”.
The concerns were in response to protests that erupted in several countries after a far-right politician from Sweden set the Koran on fire in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
Turkey’s interior minister Süleyman Soylu reacted to the embassy closures by accusing western countries of trying to destablise Turkey and meddle in its elections that will take place this year.
The backdrop to heightened tensions between Turkey and western Europe is a Turkish objection to Sweden joining NATO.
No further details have been given about the nature of the terrorist threat that caused countries, including Switzerland, Britain and Germany, to shut the doors to their consulates.
The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed to the news agency keystone-SDA that its ambassador had been summoned by the Turkish authorities.
The ministry said it is monitoring the situation closely but did not say when the embassy would re-open.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
This content was published on
The move comes shortly after relations between the two countries – which had been dogged by the Armenian question – appeared to have stabilised. The row centres on comments made a year ago by Yusuf Halacoglu, the president of the Turkish History Organisation, in Winterthur in canton Zurich. During the talk, given at the invitation…
This content was published on
Swiss President and Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter is in a quandary: how to reconcile Switzerland’s excellent diplomatic relations with Russia and his role as head of the OSCE. His latest statements about the hastily organised Crimean referendum on switching the Black Sea peninsula’s allegiance back to Russia shows how much of a balancing act it…
This content was published on
At a parliamentary Q&A session this week, the Swiss cabinet confirmed that 408 Turkish citizens had applied for asylum since the attempted coup in Turkey last July. These include diplomats still based in Switzerland. The Swiss authorities have declined to comment on the identities or status of the various requests. As the Tages-Anzeiger newspaperExternal link…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.