ANKARA
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Saturday that Ankara would respond 10 times stronger to the Dutch government’s decision to prevent a Turkish minister from entering the country.
The comments came after the Dutch government canceled the Turkish foreign minister's flight permit and then blocked a convoy carrying the Family Minister from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam.
The ministers were due to meet Turkish residents ahead of the April 16 referendum in Turkey on constitutional reform.
Cavusoglu said the actions by the Dutch are an attempt to attract right-wing voters in the March 15 general election.
“Which steps they take, we will take 10 times more action. We are not afraid of this, but their doings are really inhuman,” Cavusoglu said in an interview with state-run TRT television.
Reprisals to continue until Turkey gets Dutch apology
Turkey's reprisals will continue until Netherlands apologizes over its actions against Turkish ministers, Cavusoglu said.
Speaking to reporters in the French city of Metz, Mevlut Cavusoglu demanded an apology from the Dutch government for what it did on Saturday.
The minister also revealed that Turkey's charge d'affaires arrested by Dutch police.
He said Turkey had taken its first step against the Netherlands by asking the Dutch ambassador to Ankara, who is currently on leave, to not return “for a while”.
"We will definitely take more steps. The Netherlands will apologize to Turkey. As long as they do not, we will continue to take steps," Cavusoglu said.
"Europe has been on the edge of a cliff," he added.
In early Sunday, Cavusoglu said the government was acting more anti-immigrants and anti-Muslims than Dutch candidate Geert Wilders.
To prevent a female minister from entering “our territory, our consulate office”, was shameful for Europe, according to Cavusoglu.
The action against Turkish ministers was against the referendum in Turkey, he said. “Because they don’t want a stable, strong and more freedom Turkey,” he added.
Turkey continues diplomatic initiatives with other European countries to express Ankara's reaction against the Dutch government, the minister said.
The foreign ministry has asked the Dutch ambassador in Ankara, who is currently on leave, not to return 'for a while'.
In Turkey, hundreds of demonstrators flocked to the Dutch missions in Ankara and Istanbul to protest the moves by the Dutch government.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the actions as a measure by “Nazi remnants and fascists”.
*Reporting by Erkan Avci; Writing by Alam
