The Netherlands: “Erdoğan propaganda is a threat to public order”

The Netherlands: “Erdoğan propaganda is a threat to public order”
Following the announcement of elections in Turkey to be held on June 24, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte gave a message that they will be preventing Erdoğan and AKP members from campaigning in the Netherlands and said, “They pose a threat to public order.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Turkish politicians’ demand to campaign is “an undesired situation”.

Rutte answered questions after the cabinet meeting on Friday and stated that, like the campaigning before the constitutional referendum in April 2017, they do not want to see Turkish member of government for the June 24 elections in the Netherlands.

Rutte stressed that like in March 2017, campaigning for the elections would disrupt public order and stated that they want to prevent the pressuring of Turkish voters in the Netherands. Rutte said: “We don’t want to import any problems from the outside.”

Rutte also said he is concerned for the developments in Turkey and said, “Turkey is on the wrong path in terms of democratic developments.”

The Netherlands had not given permission to Turkish government officials in March last year to make propaganda for the constitutional amendment referendum. Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya was declared persona non grata and deported under police escort, and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu wasn’t allowed to land on March 11. These incidents were followed by a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

On the crisis of the past year, Prime Minister Rutte said: “Meetings were held with the Turkish Foreign Minister. We told them they could hold a meeting with limited participants in the consulate or another Turkish institution. But they threatened us with sanctions. We all saw what happened next.”

First announcement that Erdoğan’s propaganda would be prevented came from Austria, where Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz issued a statement during the week and said, “The Erdoğan government has been trying to take advantage of Turkish-origin people in Europe.”

Kurz, who is the head of the conservative and extreme right coalition government, said: “The presence of a Turkish election campaign is not desired in Austria, that is why we won’t be allowing it.”

A German Foreign Ministry spokesperson pointed out the law that bans foreign politicians from making propaganda in Germany and gave an indirect message that they won’t be permitting Erdoğan’s rallies in Germay. The spokesperson said the law isn’t related to Turkey but actually encompasses all countries except for EU members. Several political parties including governing partner Christian Union Party (CDU) issued a call to “not import problems from Turkey”.

Austria, the Netherlands and Germany had not permitted referendum campaigns by Turkish government officials for April 2017.
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