Relationship dossier
Turkey
Denmark
Relationship assessment
NATO allies with practical cooperation and recurring disputes over Quran burnings and Kurdish groups
Turkey toward Denmark
-10The Turkish government has criticized Quran-burning protests in Denmark and raised concerns about Kurdish groups operating there. Turkey and Denmark also cooperate as NATO allies, though the scope of their direct bilateral security cooperation is unclear.
Denmark toward Turkey
+10Denmark provided humanitarian assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes. In 2023, Denmark enacted a general law restricting the public desecration of religious texts, addressing an issue that had drawn criticism from Turkey. Denmark and Turkey also cooperate as NATO allies.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship combines their shared NATO alliance and Danish humanitarian assistance after the 2023 earthquakes with recurring political friction over Quran-burning protests and Kurdish groups in Denmark. The alliance provides a durable basis for cooperation, while the scope of direct bilateral collaboration and the practical effects of policy changes remain unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and Denmark are NATO allies, but their relationship has also faced recurring political tensions. Turkey has criticized Danish Quran-burning protests and raised concerns over Kurdish groups operating in Denmark. Denmark provided humanitarian assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes and in 2023 enacted a law restricting the public desecration of religious texts. These points indicate some practical cooperation alongside unresolved disagreements.
Areas of tension
- Turkey's criticism of Quran-burning protests in Denmark
- Turkish concerns about Kurdish groups and activities in Denmark
Key developments
Denmark enacted a law restricting the public desecration of religious texts after Quran-burning protests had prompted criticism from Turkey.
Denmark provided humanitarian assistance to Turkey following the 2023 earthquakes.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and duration of Danish humanitarian assistance to Turkey after the 2023 earthquakes are unclear.
- The extent of Turkish-Danish security cooperation and the implementation of Danish measures concerning Kurdish groups are unclear.