Sweden faces ridicule from Turkish media after a government folder was found in an Arlanda airport restroom following Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's visit to Turkey for a NATO meeting. The incident, described as a 'diplomatic fiasco,' has become a national news story in Turkey, with reports highlighting the comedic aspect of the folder being left in a restroom.
Turkish Media Mocks Sweden Over Diplomatic Blunder
Turkish Media Mocks Sweden Over Diplomatic Blunder
Sweden is being mocked by Turkish media for a government folder found in a restroom.
– It appears very clumsy of Sweden, says SVT's Turkey correspondent Tomas Thorén on Aktuellt.
It was recently revealed that a government folder was discovered by a cleaner in an Arlanda restroom in November 2022 after Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) had been in Turkey for a NATO meeting with Erdogan.
This has become a national news story in Turkey. Turkish media use headlines like “diplomatic fiasco” and “security fiasco” regarding the Swedish mistake.
– But for the most part, the reporting casts a humorous light on Sweden. It appears very clumsy how this has been handled, says Thorén on Aktuellt.
“Slapstick Humor”
He described it as “slapstick comedy” permeating the Turkish reporting on the incident.
– The reporting is framed in a kind of slapstick humor, emphasizing the detail that the folder was left specifically in a restroom, says Thorén on Aktuellt.
On one of the Turkish news sites, readers could click on which emoji best symbolized their reaction to the news. A laughing emoji received the most clicks.
– So in Turkey, this affair has resulted in a good laugh, says Thorén on Aktuellt.