‘We Will Not Apologize’, Says the Netherlands’ PM Rutte

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The Netherlands has refused Turkey demanding an apology for revoking landing rights of Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and the deportation of Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan-Kaya from the Netherlands.

According to a report by BBC Türkçe, PM Rutte said that wished the tension to de-escelate but they would not apologize.

"Are you crazy?"

Upon asked in a TV program about Turkey demanding an apology from the Netherlands, Rutte said; "We wish the tension to de-escelate but not by apologizing. Are you crazy?".

Rutte according to the report added that the Government of Turkey acted pretty bizarre with regards to the dispute between the two countries and noted "They did their best to make the things get out of control".

As to the deportation of Sayan-Kaya as "persona non grata", Ruth argued that Sayan Kaya had no diplomatic immunity and added that the biggest problem between the countries was that Turkey had been calling the people from Turkey in the Netherlands "our citizens". "They are citizens of the Netherlands", Rutte said.

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.

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