The EU leaders suggest to the Turkish authorities to “come to life”
Leaders of several EU countries made strong criticism of Ankara’s angry their decision to ban members of the Turkish government to speak at meetings of people living in these countries for Turkish citizens.
The rallies are timed to scheduled for 16 April referendum in Turkey, which will be submitted the amendments to the Constitution of the country, which significantly expands the powers of the President.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Germany and the Netherlands of Nazism after the governments of these countries banned the holding of international meetings.
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands mark Rutte called the Erdogan’s statements unacceptable. Foreign Minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel expressed the hope that Turkey “will come to life”.
The Prime Minister of Denmark Lars løkke Rasmussen, has postponed a planned meeting with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim, stating that democratic principles are in Turkey, under heavy pressure.
Rasmussen added that the current attacks on Turkey, Holland, a meeting of representatives of the two countries cannot ignore this issue.
Rallies in European cities have been organized in order to convince the people living in Europe, Turkish citizens to support the referendum proposals to expand the powers of the President Erdogan.
Planned in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands meetings were canceled, as was stated by the authorities, for security reasons
However, in France the rally was held. The city authorities of Metz, declared that his conduct did not threaten public order. The Minister of foreign Affairs of France has asked Turkey to avoid provocations.
Relations between Turkey and the Netherlands especially escalated last weekend after the two Ministers of the Turkish government — the first Minister of foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu, and later Minister for family Affairs and social policies of Turkey, Fatima Betul saillant Kaye — forbidden to speak at meetings in Rotterdam.
On Saturday, Dutch authorities did not allow the Chairman to enter the country, and Fatima Betul saillant Kaye was escorted to the German border.
Then Radzhip Tayep Erdogan compared the Netherlands with the “banana Republic”, and demanded from international organizations to impose on that country the sanctions and accused the West of Islamophobia.
“I said that Nazism is gone, but I was wrong. Nazism is alive in the West,” said the Turkish President.
“Absolutely unacceptable”
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands mark Rutte demanded on Sunday an apology from erdoğan for what he has compared his country with the Nazis and fascists.
“This country was bombed during the Second world war. To say this is absolutely unacceptable,” — said Rutte.
The Netherlands will be forced to consider retaliatory steps, if Turkey continues in the same spirit, he added.
Meanwhile, the German government is also toughening its rhetoric against Turkey.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her government is not against the presence of Turkish Ministers at meetings in Germany, if they are properly announced.
However, the Minister of internal Affairs of Germany Thomas de maizière said that he was against the Turkish political meetings in Germany.
“The Turkish campaign is nothing to do here in Germany,” said de Maiziere in an interview with the German press.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that Turkey “has destroyed the basis for further development of cooperation”
According to reports from Sweden, the owner of the premises in Stockholm, where a rally of the Turkish community, canceled the event.
This meeting was supposed to be the Minister of agriculture of Turkey.
The Ministry of foreign Affairs of Sweden stated that it has no relation to the cancellation of the meeting, and that he can pass in some other place.
Oleg Boldyrev, a reporter of the Russian service bi-Bi-si, Amsterdam:
The Netherlands is one of the few European countries that decided to refuse the Turkish envoys to the access to the Turkish voters-immigrants, and not the first who has fallen with charges President Erdogan.
But there are those who say that Prime Minister Rutte additional reasons to show such rigidity.
During the campaign for parliamentary elections March 15, talked a lot about migration and migrants; surveys show that the majority of voters want stricter rules in relation to just arriving and those who live here for years or were born into immigrant families.
Before the campaign, Rutte said the migrants in the Manifesto of his party: “act normal, or good riddance.”
Retreat to the protests of the Dutch Turks so completely “wipe out” this promise of hard and probably lose a cherished voice. They would pick and the radical nationalist Geert Wilders, and other players on the field, limiting migration, and their current campaign a lot.
I wonder how the incident will affect the newly established party “Denk”, representing the voice of migrants, first and foremost, citizens with Turkish roots. The party made one of its slogans “mutual recognition” but tough statements by politicians that is not promised.
Outside of Turkey is home to 5.5 million Turks and only in Germany, there are 1.4 million Turks eligible to vote and therefore the government of Turkey is trying hard to attract them to his side.
Many of the European countries with the Turkish Diaspora, including Germany, are against holding rallies and other events with the participation of Turkish officials, fearing the growth of tension in society.
They Express deep concern about the repression against the participants of the attempted coup in Turkey in July last year and accused President Erdogan of seeking to establish an authoritarian regime.