Stand up to Netherlands, Turkey urges global community

By Muhammed Nuri Erdogan and Omer Ertugrul

YOZGAT, Turkey (AA) - Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag has urged the international community to stand up against the Dutch government for violating the rights of Turkey’s expat community in the Netherlands.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting in central Turkey's Yozgat province Wednesday, Bozdag said: "Using batons, dogs and water cannons against Turkish-origin people in the Netherlands is an extreme violation of rights. It is violation of human rights, it is violation of the right to assembly and demonstration.

"The blocking of our minister’s [Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya] trip [in the Dutch city of Rotterdam] is a violation of freedom to travel. Banning people from gathering is a violation of freedom of assembly and expression. The attacks against the press members is also an open violation of press freedom."

About the steps Turkey would take against the Netherlands, Bozdag said Ankara's response would not insult the Dutch government or its people as the Netherlands did to Turkey and the Turkish people. Instead, he said, Turkey would follow a diplomatic, just and legal course to respond without violating international rules.

Bozdag termed the current tension as a diplomatic problem between the two governments and said he would not attribute it to people-to-people or people-to-government relations.

The minister also said he condemns all who stayed silent after the incident despite the Netherlands being caught red-handed violating human rights on television.

"The EU institutions and the Council of Europe who blame Turkey over simplest of incidents based on rhetoric of some terrorist groups [such as the PKK] about implementation of democracy, this time choose to stay silent," he said, adding: "I condemn all of them."

Meanwhile, the minister also criticized a report of the Venice Commission of Council of Europe on Turkey’s upcoming referendum on constitutional change.

"It is neither fair nor objective. It is subjective and political," he said.

He termed the report a compilation of what Turkey's opposition parties said during parliamentary discussions and the expert opinions that the Council of Europe published on its website.

He said the report proved that the Venice Commission of Council of Europe was "siding with No voters" in the April 16 referendum.

"The Venice Commission is not an opposition party of Turkey," he said. "It is a technical commission but the style of the report is like it is written by a Turkish opposition party."

The minister added that no one should try to understand the proposed constitutional changes in Turkey based on this report since it does not reflect the reality.

Last month, a delegation from the Venice Commission of Council of Europe visited Turkey to speak with Turkish officials about plans for constitution amendments that would give wide-ranging executive powers to the president.

The commission comprises of constitutional experts and advises the Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a member.

Turkey’s constitutional reforms have been discussed since Recep Tayyip Erdogan was voted president in August 2014. The 18-article bill was passed by parliament in January, with 339 votes in favor -- more than nine needed to put the proposal to a referendum.