Belgium Opposition Party Supports Netherlands in Turkish Officials Entry Ban

Belgian right-wing opposition party supports the Netherlands in their decision to bar Turkish officials from holding rallies in the country, the party’s leader told the Izvestia newspaper on Tuesday.

کد خبر: ۶۷۷۱۴۵

تاریخ: ۲۴ اسفند ۱۳۹۵ - ۱۲:۲۱

Sputnik — Belgian right-wing opposition party Vlaams Belang (VB, Flemish Interest) supports the Netherlands in their decision to bar Turkish officials from holding rallies in the country, and plans to call on Belgian authorities to introduce an entry ban against Turkish politicians, the party’s leader, Tom Van Grieker, told the Izvestia newspaper on Tuesday.

"We completely support the Dutch policy toward Turkey. Other countries must not influence political situation in Europe. Turkish officials wanted to hold rallies with people of Turkish origin on the territory of Europe, which is a direct interference with the EU internal affairs. Many European parties are in sympathy with the Netherlands, and soon they will show this sympathy," Van Grieker said.

He continued to say that Belgium should follow in Germany’s and the Netherlands’ footsteps and ban Turkish officials from entering the country, adding that the issue will be introduced in the Belgian parliament soon.
Other European countries are likely to follow suit, the lawmaker stated.

On Saturday, Dutch authorities denied landing for Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was planning to meet with the Turkish expats in the country amid the preparations for Turkey's constitutional referendum this coming April on extending presidential powers.

On the same day, Turkish Family and Social Affairs Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya was denied entry into the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam. She was declared an "undesirable alien" and then deported to Germany. Both Dutch and German authorities have called off the family minister's campaign meetings.

On Monday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus announced that Ankara had decided to bar the Dutch ambassador from returning to Turkey, put all high-level political discussions with the Netherlands on hold, and stop Dutch diplomatic flights bound for Turkey.