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Monday, March 13, 2017

Turkey demands apology from Dutch PM as row simmers

Turkey has said the Netherlands will be forced to apologise for barring its ministers from speaking in Rotterdam, the latest twist in a spat between the two NATO allies.

Talking in a business meeting, the Turkish deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said the government will give "the necessary response", but did not expand on any measures Turkey were planning.

Turkey has also summoned the Dutch envoy three times, presenting him with two formal protest notes addressed to the Dutch government.

A diplomatic feud broke out between the two countries at the weekend after Turkish ministers were banned from attending a pro-Ankara rally in Rotterdam.

Dutch authorities refused to allow Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to land in the country, and went on to expel Turkish family minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya.

Riot police also used horses, dogs and water cannon to disperse a crowd of over 1,000 protesters gathered near the Turkish consulate.

The row centres over Ankara's political campaigning abroad.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been attempting to gather support from Turkish nationals living in Europe ahead of the 16 April referendum that could give him sweeping new powers.

The first note said the treatment of Ms Kaya was a violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

Demanding a "written apology from the Dutch government", Turkey also reserved the right to seek compensation.

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The second note criticised the "disproportionate" treatment by security forces against "people using their right to peacefully gather together".

Saying that the treatment of Turkish nationals was "inhumane and derogatory", Ankara demanded that those responsible be identified and punished.

The Dutch government has made no immediate response to the demands.

Mr Erdogan said the Netherlands "will pay a price" for its behaviour, adding: "Nazism is alive in the West."

Such comments have led the German government to call on Turkey to stop using Nazi comparisons in criticising the behaviour of the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has now issued a travel waning to Dutch citizens in Turkey, warning of "a high risk of terrorist attacks" across the country.

General elections, where far-right politician Geert Wilders is expected to make large gains, will take place in the Netherlands on Wednesday.

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