Turkey suspends diplomatic relations with the Netherlands

Ankara spokesman says Ankara will deny permission to land on future diplomatic flights and prevent the return of the Dutch ambassador

The Turkey suspended on Monday its relations at the highest level with the Netherlands in response to the veto of the Dutch government to the participation of Turkish political rallies on the referendum in the country. “Until Holland repairs the damage it has caused, relations at the highest level and planned ministerial meetings are suspended,” Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus announced after a meeting of the Ministers.

The spokesman also said that  Turkey will deny permission to land on future Dutch diplomatic flights and prevent the return of the Dutch ambassador to Ankara. He said the decision is limited to official visits and flights that want to use Turkish airspace without affecting ordinary citizens.

“Solid allies”

Shortly before the announcement of the breakup, the US administration called for calm on both sides, recalling that “both are strong partners and allies in NATO .” According to a senior State Department official, the Donald Trump administration did not intervene directly in the conflict because it believed that Turkey and the Netherlands were “strong democracies” and “could solve the problem between them.” The European Union and NATO were also trying to get around the crisis on Monday amid the Ankara attacks on the Dutch authorities for having prevented two Turkish ministers from attending rallies in support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The EU has called on Ankara to “refrain from any excessive declaration and action that could exacerbate the situation” after President Erdogan pledged that the Netherlands “will pay a heavy price” for the treatment given to the two Turkish ministers, who, he says, Nazism and Fascism “. “It is essential to avoid a new escalation and find ways to calm the situation,” said the head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini.

Although Turkey’s accession to the EU is at a standstill, Ankara remains a strategic partner of the bloc, especially in managing the flow of migrants. But a Turkish minister on Monday quoted a possible “analysis” of the pact on the fight against immigration concluded a year ago. “Turkey should reassess the issue,” said European Affairs Minister Omer Celik, quoted by the Anatolian pro-government agency.

The recent crisis began on Saturday when the Dutch ousted Turkish Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya and denied permission for a visit by Turkish diplomat Mevlut Cavusoglu. The two diplomats would attend rallies to promote among the Turks residing in the Netherlands the ‘yes’ in the constitutional referendum scheduled for April 16, which aims to strengthen the powers of Erdogan.

Provocation contest

On Monday, Erdogan directly attacked German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who accused him of “supporting terrorists”. “Ms. Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country? Why are you not doing anything? “Erdogan asked in an interview with TV A-Haber, accusing Berlin of not responding to the 4,500 reports made by Turkey about suspected terrorists. Turkey accuses Germany of harboring Kurdish activists and suspected wanted suspects for involvement in the failed July 15 coup. Merkel considered the charges absurd. “The chancellor does not intend to participate in a teaser contest,” said her spokeswoman, Steffen Seibert. In the same interview, Erdogan accused Germany of “Nazism” in assessing that Merkel supports his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in the dispute with Ankara.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on the Atlantic Alliance countries to help dispel diplomatic tensions between Turkey and some European countries. “I would encourage all allies to show mutual respect, remain calm and contribute to reduce tensions,” Stoltenberg told reporters. The Netherlands on Monday called on its citizens in the Netherlands to be “vigilant” and to avoid “very crowded concentrations and sites”. Over the weekend, there were several demonstrations in front of the Dutch diplomatic representations in Istanbul and Ankara.