Five terrorism suspects were arrested in Sweden, after an "excitation to carry out an attack" related to the burning of the Qur'an in Stockholm.

Police said the case was related to a terrorist crime plot and was "related to violent extremism". The arrests took place in an early morning raid in three cities on Tuesday.

This is one of several investigations following anti-Swedish protests following the Al-Qur'an burning incident outside the Turkish Embassy in January.

Susanna Trehorning, deputy head of counter-terrorism unit at the Swedish security police, said there had been calls for an attack on Sweden.

"Security police often have to intervene early to ward off threats. We cannot wait for the crime to end before acting," he said.

In separate developments, a court overturned a ban on further protests outside the Turkish and Iraqi Embassys.

The court said the threat of burning the Qur'an further did not rule out freedom of assembly and demonstration in Sweden.

It is known that the burning of the Qur'an in January by far-right politician Rasmus Paludan has caused international condemnation.

This is a blow to Sweden's ambition to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as Turkey says the burning of the Qur'an is unforgivable.

Separately, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Sweden on Tuesday he would ensure the country joined the alliance.

This happened when Finland raised its flag at NATO headquarters on Tuesday, after previously the two countries that filed a joint application also hoped to be accepted together, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Access to membership of the two has been delayed, as Turkey and Hungary have yet to provide ratification, a condition that all 30 countries must provide.

Last month, Turkey and Hungary decided to accept the Finnish app, but not for Sweden.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in January that Sweden was unacceptable "as long as it allowed my holy book, the Qur'an, to be burned and raided".

In addition, Ankara also demanded tougher policies from Sweden against Kurdish dissidents who were considered terrorists by Turkey.


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