Dutch riot police break up Turkish protest in Rotterdam

Social media went awry with a mix of dark humor and conspiracy theories as users reacted to Erdogan, the protests in the wake of the upcoming Dutch election, and the link between them all.

Cavusoglu said that the German and Dutch bans on campaigns for a “yes” vote in the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes means that Europe is “taking a side for a “no” vote”.

Meanwhile, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte yesterday said he would do everything to “de-escalate” the diplomatic confrontation with Turkey.

Turkey’s Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya appeared at the scene after reportedly travelling overland from Germany, but Turkish TV said she was stopped by Dutch police some 30 metres (yards) short of the consulate.

Speaking at the “International Benevolence Awards” ceremony in Istanbul, he spoke of a racist, Islamophobic, and fascist Europe.

The Netherlands, too, is set to go to the polls, with a general election on Wednesday that could increase the political presence of far-right, ultra-nationalist Geert Wilders. They said the Dutch ambassador to Turkey, who is now overseas on leave, wasn’t welcome back for a while, and threatened diplomatic, political and economic retaliation unless the Netherlands apologized for the incident. “We can never do business under those sorts of threats and blackmail”, said Rutte. That prompted Turkey to seal off the Dutch Embassy and Consulate in a tit-for-tat move. The actions against the rallies have to be understood not as an anti-Turkish measure, but primarily an anti-Erdogan statement.

The diplomatic row comes at a time when relations between Turkey and the European Union, of which the Netherlands is a member, have been steadily worsening, especially in the wake of Erdogan’s actions since last year’s failed coup.

“We have to be the sensible party here”, he added.

Police in Rotterdam said they arrested 12 people as a demonstration outside the Turkish consulate in the city devolved into rioting. Several riot police vehicles blocked entrance to the consulate, which is situated on the pedestrianised Istiklal street close to Taksim Square, and one police officer suffered a broken hand during a brief confrontation.

The Turkish foreign ministry said it had summoned the Dutch deputy ambassador in protest over the ban.

But questions are also being asked about the legality and appropriateness of campaigning for a specific political party while travelling overseas as representatives of the Republic of Turkey.

“There will be a stronger reprisal against the unacceptable treatment toward Turkey and ministers who have diplomatic immunity”, Yildirim said. “Treating a female minister this way is very ugly”.

Image copyright EPA Image caption A protester (bottom left) shouts slogans after replacing the Dutch flag with a Turkish one at the Netherlands’ consulate in Istanbul.

“They will pay the price of treating my citizens, my Foreign Minister.in an impudent way”.

“I have said that I had thought that Nazism was over, but that I was wrong”.

Germany is home to 1.4 million people eligible to vote in Turkey – the fourth-largest electoral base after Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.