Dutch move against Turkish FM 'unacceptable': deputy PM

By Ali Kemal Akan

ERZINCAN, Turkey (AA) - Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has described the Dutch move canceling Turkish foreign minister’s flight permit as “unacceptable”, saying Turkey is ready to retaliate.

In remarks made during a visit to governor of eastern Erzincan province Saturday, Kurtulmus said: “Turkey will give all the necessary response to those who implemented this move.”

Earlier, the Netherlands canceled Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's flight permit on grounds of "security" and "public safety", Dutch Foreign Ministry announced in a statement.

The announcement came just hours after Cavusoglu said Turkey would impose “severe sanctions” on the Netherlands if attempts were made to cancel his planned meeting in the European country.

The minister was scheduled to address the Turkish community in the Dutch city of Rotterdam later Saturday.

According to the Dutch statement, the decision came after Cavusoglu's "threat" to impose sanctions on the Netherlands.

Kurtulmus said the Dutch action “is a very wrong implementation” that goes against friendship, democracy and human rights.

Minutes after the Dutch cancelation was announced, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the move as a measure by “Nazi remnants and fascists”.

Addressing an inauguration ceremony in Istanbul Saturday, Erdogan said: “How will your country’s [diplomatic] flights come here now after not granting permission to our foreign minister?”

Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak also criticized Saturday’s move.

“Today is the beginning of the day when the Western world returned to the darkness of medieval age,” Kaynak said.

EU Affairs Minister and Chief Negotiator Omer Celik labeled the European countries involved in the measures against Turkish ministers as “fascist” and “Islamophobic” after the Dutch move.

“Turkey’s ministers are trying to meet our citizens there after permission from the official quarters in Europe.

“But they do not give permission citing public safety and on the pretext ‘we are taking measures for public safety’.

“In fact, we know that behind this pretext there are racist, fascist, anti-democratic, anti-human rights, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic approaches,” Celik said.

Apart from the latest move by Netherlands against a Turkish minister, Germany as well took measures against senior Turkish officials. Several events planned for senior ministers from the Justice and Development (AK) Party in Germany have been canceled in recent days due to what Berlin also described as security grounds.

Around 1.5 million Turkish nationals living in Germany are eligible to vote in the referendum.

The president previously compared Germany’s rally cancellations as actions reminiscent of a Nazi regime.