Dutch PM will approach "special relationship" with Turkey pragmatically

The relationship with Turkey must be viewed pragmatically, Prime Minister Mark Rutte made clear on Tuesday after meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "It will always be a special relationship," the Dutch Prime Minister said on his first visit to Ankara in four years.

The political ties between the Netherlands and Turkey have been strained over the past years. "But you cannot keep choking on your own opinion," Rutte told the media after the meeting. "You should also try to get the relationship going again, without forgiving and forgetting things."

Turkey is a "hugely" important partner within NATO, according to Rutte. The country is of great importance for the defense of the NATO area's southeastern flank. Moreover, the trade ties between the Netherlands and Turkey are very strong. Over 3,000 Dutch companies are active in Turkey, he pointed out.

Rutte and Erdogan mainly talked about the war in Ukraine. The Turkish government is trying to be a mediator in the conflict. Erdogan is one of the few world leaders who has close ties to both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rutte is trying to help with that mediation attempt. "I want to understand more about that, and I want to see how we can help with that," he said on Monday. Rutte had coordinated the visit with Zelenskyy. Rutte also said that he was pleased with the mediating role played by the Turkish government. "Turkey is taking its responsibility."

Turkey has not adopted all the EU and US sanctions against Russia. Rutte would have liked more implemented sanctions, but he also understands why the country is hesitant. According to Rutte, Turkey must now be given the space to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. He did point out that Erdogan had condemned the Russian invasion.

Over the past decade, the Netherlands and Turkey seemed to roll from one incident to another. But the ties were always tightened again. Meanwhile, the human rights situation in Turkey continued to deteriorate. The country imprisoned opponents and silenced the media.

The Netherlands is one of the largest investors in Turkey. Rutte and Erdogan want to further strengthen those economic ties. The Turkish economy is currently struggling. They agreed to look into resuming talks about a customs union, among other things.

Erdogan is in the process of strengthening ties with countries he's been butting heads with in recent years. Relations with Israel are being rekindled, and Turkey had a constructive meeting with neighboring Armenia. Relations with Greece have also improved.