Dutch Close Embassy And Consulate In Turkey

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The Dutch embassy and consulate in Turkey have been closed off for security reasons, according to Reuters citing Turkish foreign ministry sources.

The residences of the Dutch ambassador, charge d’affaires and consul general were also closed off, according to the same source.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said earlier in a statement that Ankara did not want “the Dutch ambassador, currently on leave, to return to his post for some time.”

“It has been explained to our counterparts that this grave decision taken against Turkey and the Dutch Turkish community will cause serious problems diplomatically, politically, economically and in other areas,” the statement said, as cited by Reuters.

The move follows the Dutch government barring Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from flying to Rotterdam.

Initially, Cavusoglu was to speak at a rally organized by Ankara to promote the referendum on amending the Turkish constitution among Turks living in the Netherlands.

Turkish Minister Detained

Turkey’s family affairs minister has said her convoy was blocked by Dutch police from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Kaya has been reportedly detained by the Dutch police and will be held at the consulate before being further escorted to Germany, RTL News reported.

“We were stopped at the Consulate General of Rotterdam 30 meters away and were not allowed to enter,” Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya wrote earlier on Twitter, adding that by denying her access to the building “Netherlands is violating all international laws, conventions and human rights.”

With mass rallies still ongoing at the consulate, the Dutch police asked Kaya to promptly leave the country for Germany, accompanied by a police convoy.

“You must go back to the German border,” the police told the minister, as reported by NOS correspondent Robert Bas.

However, the minister reportedly rejected the request, after police refused to let her address the protesters, NOS reported.

“Let me have five minutes to talk to my people,” she asked.

Police are reportedly preparing to disperse the demonstration at the consulate. Units of the Dutch Special Intervention Service (DSI) have been spotted arriving at the site.

MINA

MINA is the Macedonian International News Agency

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