Vice PM Kurtulmuş: High-Level Diplomatic Ties Suspended with the Netherlands

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Vice Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson Numan Kurtulmuş organized a press conference as the Council of Ministers meeting continued at Çankaya Mansion.

Kurtulmuş made statement on the escalating tension between Turkey and the Netherlands and shared the decisions issued at the Council of Ministers.

Landing rights revoked, ambassador banned

Kurtulmuş listed the measures:

“The landing rights granted on December 27, 2016 for diplomatic flights were cancelled as of today.

“This doesn’t concern the Dutch citizens but it is a limitation for the diplomats who would come to Turkey for official talks or use Turkish air field.

“Turkey will not allow diplomatic flights until the Netherlands fixes its mistakes.

“High-level ties, scheduled meetings and high-level official talks have been suspended until the Netherlands makes amends for its doings.

“The Dutch ambassador to Turkey will not be allowed to enter Turkey until our demands are met.

“If our behaviors and steps are not taken seriously and the Netherlands, which has caused this crisis, doesn’t take the necessary steps to put an end to this, Turkey will try to ensure the Netherlands correct its mistake by imposing additional sanctions if necessary”.

What happened?

The campaign meeting of Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on March 11 in Rotterdam for the referendum on the Constitutional Amendment Draft on April 16 was cancelled.

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Abutalip had announced that the decision to cancel the meeting was taken by the owner of the hall Park de Heerlijkheid where the meeting was to take place due to lack of fire security measures. Mayor Abutalip noted however "If the owner of the hall had not, I would have cancelled the meeting myself for public order and security reasons".

Çavuşoğlu in a TV program in CNN Türk called the Dutch "Nazis" following the remarks about Germany and if the Netherlands would revoke his landing rights, this would cause sanctions.

On March 11, the Netherlands revoked Minister Çavuşoğlu's landing rights.

Netherland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders said that Çavuşoğlu's call to the people from Turkey in the Netherlands for an assembly threatened "the public order and security".

While the revocation of Çavuşoğlu's landing rights sparked protests in Turkey and the Netherlands, Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan-Kaya who wanted to enter the Consulate of Turkey in Rotterdam where the protests were being staged was blocked and deported to Germany with police escort.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte said that he wished the tension to de-escelate but they would not apologize.

On March 13, Turkey sent two diplomatic notes to the Netherlands.

On March 15, General Elections will be held in the Netherlands. (AS/TK)