A man set fire to a copy of the Quran in front of a mosque in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Wednesday, drawing a sharp reaction from Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan criticized Swedish authorities for allowing the protest. He said in a tweet that it is unacceptable to allow such anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of expression, and that condoning such atrocious acts is to be complicit.

Sweden has applied for membership of NATO, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Nordic nation aims to join the military alliance before its next summit, scheduled to start on July 11.

Turkey claims that Sweden supports Kurdish militants who want to secede from Turkey. It is demanding that Sweden take what it calls counterterrorism measures as a prerequisite for membership. But following the latest incident, Turkey will likely harden its stance against Sweden's entry into the bloc.

In January, a leader of a right-wing group burned the Islamic holy book in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.

Local media report that Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday that the protest is legal but not appropriate. He did not refer to how it could affect Sweden's bid to join NATO.