Participants of Anti-Turkish Demonstration in Finland Burn Erdogan's Picture

Participants of an unauthorized anti-Turkish demonstration in Finland burned a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Local media report that the action took place in Helsinki, near the embassy. Heiki Porola, head of the Helsinki Police Department's signal and surveillance division, stated that the perpetrators were masked individuals, including both native Finns and people of foreign origin.

"It has been established that the burned picture depicted the president's image. There are grounds to suspect that a crime has been committed," said the police representative.

The police have detained four individuals, who were later released. They are suspected of resisting authorities, disobedience, and even defamation. According to Porola, the suspects have been interrogated, and the results of the preliminary investigation will be forwarded to the prosecutor for accountability.

The organizers of the action informed media that it was held as a protest against Turkey’s war on the Kurds and the country's totalitarian domestic policies. Previously, a puppet depicting Erdogan had been hung upside down in front of the Stockholm City Hall, and the Quran was burned in front of the Turkish embassy. Following these incidents, the Turkish president stated that it is pointless for Sweden to expect Ankara to endorse its NATO membership application. Negotiations regarding Sweden's NATO membership have been frozen.