12 March 2017•Update: 15 March 2017
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands
The stance of the current Dutch government is no different than the fascist views of far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, according to Turkish foreign minister.
On Saturday, the Dutch government first canceled the Turkish foreign minister's flight permit to the Netherlands and then blocked a convoy carrying Turkey’s family minister from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam.
The ministers were also due to meet Turkish expat community ahead of the April 16 referendum on constitutional reforms.
"Dutch Government's stance reflected in such a deplorable decision is no different than Wilders racist and fascist mind," Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted late Saturday and also repeated the same remarks during his visit to France Sunday.
Wilders, who is the chairman of the Party for Freedom (PVV), cashed in on the ban on Turkish ministers visit to the Netherlands and took credit for forcing the hand of the current government apart from making several racist and anti-Islam comments.
After the Dutch government announced the cancellation of flight permit for Cavusoglu, Wilders tweeted: "Great! Thanks to heavy PVV pressure a few days before the Dutch elections our government did not allow the Turkish minister to land here!!"
When Turks took to the streets in Rotterdam after Dutch police prevented Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya from entering the Turkish consulate-general, Wilders tweeted Saturday: "Hey [Dutch Prime Minister Mark] Rutte and [Dutch Labour Party politician Ahmed] Aboutaleb where are you? 500 Turks are screaming allahu akbar in Rotterdam. This is our country! Wipe that square and fast!"
Early Sunday, he also shared a photo of a Turkish woman wearing a head scarf with a racist note: "For decades, open borders, mass immigration, maintaining one's own culture, zero integration, dual nationality. See the result here."
When the Turkish minister was forced to return to Germany by Dutch police, Wilders tweeted again early Sunday tweeted a harsh comment: "Go away and never come back @drbetulsayan and take all your Turkish fans from The Netherlands with you please. #byebye"
Wilders' PVV is hoping to win or be part of a coalition government in the upcoming election on March 15.
*Reporting by Bayram Altug; Writing by Ilker Girit
