Dutch PM bars Turkish minister as rally dispute escalates (Reuters)

[ATraveller]

The Netherlands barred Turkey’s foreign minister from landing in Rotterdam on Saturday in a row over Ankara’s political campaigning among Turkish emigres, leading President Tayyip Erdogan to brand its fellow NATO member a “Nazi remnant”.

The dispute escalated in the evening as Turkey’s family minister was prevented by police from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam. Hundreds of protesters waving Turkish flags gathered outside, demanding to see the minister.

Two Dutch broadcasters said the minister, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, was detained by Dutch authorities to prevent her addressing the crowd. RTL said Kaya was declared an “undesirable alien” and would be escorted to Germany.

reuters.com/article/us-turkey-europe-netherlands-idUSKBN16I07O

 

[PaulfromIowa]

This is an awkward situation for the Netherlands. They are playing host to many persons whose loyalty is to a foreign dictator.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I wonder how this will continue to escalate?

 

[SuperLuigi]

This is an awkward situation for the Netherlands. They are playing host to many persons whose loyalty is to a foreign dictator.

The million dollar question: how many of them even have an orbital idea of trying to mobilize and conquer Western Europe?

Most of the actors around the world are flawed if not downright terrible. But how many of them are a threatening the fabric of Europe?

 

[ATraveller]

And it continues to escalate:

Turkey said on Monday it would suspend high-level diplomatic relations with the Netherlands after Dutch authorities prevented its ministers from speaking at rallies of expatriate Turks, deepening the row between the two NATO allies.

The sanctions - which include a ban on the Dutch ambassador and diplomatic flights from the Netherlands but do not appear to include economic measures or travel restrictions for ordinary citizens - mark another low point in relations between Turkey and the European Union, which it still officially aims to join.
…]
Earlier Erdogan threatened to take the Dutch to the European Court of Human Rights.

Turkey also summoned the Dutch charge d’affaires on Monday to complain about the ban - imposed due to fears of unrest and also to Dutch distaste at what Europe sees as an increasingly authoritarian tone from Erdogan - and the actions of police against Turkish protesters in Rotterdam over the weekend, foreign ministry sources said.

reuters.com/article/us-turkey-referendum-netherlands-idUSKBN16J0IU

 

[ATraveller]

The PM Mark Rutte didn’t want these Turkish officials in the Netherlands to campaign for more presidential powers because the images of Turkish officials leading hundreds of Turkish nationalists waving Turkish flags in rallies in Dutch cities would have looked really bad given the Dutch election is this Wednesday and the strength of Geert Wilders. It clearly backfired. The optics of clashes between Dutch police and Turkish nationalists in Rotterdam on Saturday and the Turkish President’s refusal to de-escalate the situation will likely hurt Rutte and possibly give Wilders the electoral bump he needs, not that a win for Wilders will mean he will be PM (he won’t as no one wants to be in coalition with him) but it will be a shock for the world.