Dutch Deputy PM calls on Turkey to retract Nazism, fascism accusations

By Janene Pieters on March 13, 2017 - 11:25
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Lodewijk Asscher (Photo: Rijksoverheid.nl/Wikimedia Commons). (Lodewijk Asscher (Photo: Rijksoverheid.nl/Wikimedia Commons))

Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher called on Turkey to retract its accusations of Nazism and fascism against the Netherlands. If the country does not do so, the relationship between the Netherlands and Turkey will remain difficult, Asscher said, according to RTL Nieuws. 

Asscher added that the Dutch government will not take any measures against the Ankara government, even if they refuse to retract the statements. According to him, it is important that calm returns. But "a different form of communication must come from Turkey", he said.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend. That happened after the Dutch government refused entry into the country to Turkish Ministers who wanted to campaign for a referendum that would give Erdogan more power. 

On the television program Buitenhof, Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs said it "would be nice" if the Turks apologized, but he assumes that this won't happen. Prime Minister Mark Rutte later demanded an apology. 

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