Turkey-Netherlands Row: Erdogan Calls Dutch ’Rotten, Terrorist State’

Local Editor

Amid the escalation of tensions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Netherlands of state terrorism and having a "rotten" character, claiming that he would mobilize the Islamic world to fight xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia.

Speaking at a medical conference in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdogan accused the Netherlands of being responsible for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre during the Bosnian War. Dutch peacekeepers have been accused of standing down and letting Bosnian Serb forces kill up to 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in the city considered a UN "safe area."

"We know the Netherlands and the Dutch from the Srebrenica massacre," Erdogan told his audience. "We know how rotten their character is from their massacre of 8,000 Bosnians there. Nobody should try to give us lessons on morality, especially not those who have blood on their hands."

The Turkish government accused the Netherlands, along with Germany, of Nazi-like behavior after authorities in the two countries prevented Turkish ministers from campaigning to expatriate Turks in favor of an upcoming April referendum, which critics say would give incumbent President Erdogan too much power.

Last weekend, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was denied landing permission ahead of a speech, and Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya was not permitted to enter her country's consulate in Rotterdam, and was promptly escorted to the German border.

The Dutch authorities are accused of using disproportionate force including dogs and water cannons on Turkish protesters in Rotterdam. In return, Turkey cut off all high-level diplomatic relations. Erdogan has said that an apology from the Netherlands is not enough, and is considering further sanctions.

"The Netherlands, with its display of state terrorism, has caused huge damage to Europe and the EU," Erdogan said on Tuesday as cited by the Hurriyet.

"Now, for those who want to cooperate with the EU, it has ceased to be a symbol of human rights and freedom. Europe is too important to be left at the mercy of rogue states."

"Some European countries have turned into toys of racist and fascist parties," said Erdogan, using the opportunity to weigh in on the rise of far-right parties such as the Dutch Party for Freedom and the AfD [Alternative for Germany].

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team