Islamic countries have reacted sharply to the burning of a Quran by a man at a rally in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Wednesday.

In the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy on Thursday. The government of Morocco has recalled its ambassador to Sweden.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a TV address, "Those who commit this crime, who allow it under the guise of freedom of thought will not achieve their goals."

Sweden has applied to join NATO, but member country Turkey has yet to approve Stockholm's membership. Ankara claims that Sweden supports Kurdish militants, who want to secede from Turkey.

The two countries are scheduled to hold talks next week. But Turkey has hardened its stance in the wake of the incident.

Reuters has reported that Hungary's parliament has decided to delay a vote on the ratification of Sweden's NATO membership until the week after next or later. Hungary is a NATO member.

Sweden wants to join the military alliance before its next summit, which is scheduled to start on July 11. But the latest developments have made the situation more difficult for the Nordic nation.