Denmark wants to postpone Turkish PM’s visit over referendum rallies row
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirim, would better be postponed due to Ankara’s row with the Netherlands. Turkey is threatening the Netherlands with reprisals over a referendum rallies row.
“With the current Turkish attacks on Holland, the meeting cannot be seen separated from that. I have therefore proposed to my Turkish colleague that the meeting will be postponed,” Rasmussen said in a press release.
The move comes as Turkey and the Netherlands are engaged in a bitter row over Turkish officials being barred from appearing at Ankara-sponsored rallies for Turkish voters in the European nation. On Saturday, two Turkish ministers were prevented from attending a rally in Rotterdam and one was expelled from the country.
The Turkish government is campaigning to drum up votes in favor of a referendum to be held in April that would vest new powers in the presidential office if approved. Rallies in support of the motion in several European nations have been canceled this week, while some senior Turkish officials were barred from attending other events.
The moves by the Netherlands on Saturday sparked fierce protests in Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Ankara has resorted to a barrage of verbal attacks against the Dutch authorities, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling the nation “a Nazi remnant” and threatening it with economic sanctions.
Among other European nations involved in the feud are Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.
