Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders called his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on the night of Nov. 26. The two spoke about the integration of Turkish and Muslim immigrants in the northern European country. AFP Photo
It’s not just Wilders, but other members of his PVV party who make grotesque statements about Islam and Muslims that should have no place in a 21st century pluralistic society. Interestingly enough, a major social democratic party, the PvdA is also being charged with facilitating a hostile attitude towards Muslims and Dutch citizens of Turkish descent.
Turkey concerned over ‘xenophobia’
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry had previously released a statement that complained to Dutch authorities about “aggressive and racist accusations” being made against the Turkish community in the Netherlands, and warned that the issue could harm bilateral relations.
Foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a written statement on Nov. 26 that Dutch government officials had prepared a xenophobic report about Turkish associations in the Netherlands.
“Aggressive and racist accusations toward Turks who are part of Dutch society and who come from a friendly allied nation are unacceptable,” read the statement. “We have difficulty understanding why these racist attacks, which are incompatible with our long history with the Dutch nation, have been on the agenda recently.”
Turkish officials are also infuriated by a report stating that around 80 percent of young Turkish people in the Netherlands support jihadist movements.
Mosque purge suggestion
Adding fuel to the fire, a Party for Freedom (PVV) lawmaker in recently proposed that all mosques in the Netherlands should be closed. However, Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher said any closure of mosques in the country would be “unacceptable.”
“Dutch unity, identity and culture are being wrecked by immigration and incubation. We do not want Islam in the Netherlands,” PVV deputy Machiel de Graaf had said.
Two weeks ago, two lawmakers of Turkish descent from the Labor Party (PvdA) were expelled after refusing to support their party’s critical remarks about a number of Turkish organizations accused of being “too focused on promoting Turkish and Islamic identity.”
The expelled parliamentarians said they were asked to sign a declaration during a party meeting aimed at stepping up surveillance on four Turkish organizations, but they refused to do so and were removed from the party as a result.