Why the Quarrel Between Turkey and the Netherlands?

What’s hidden is “greater,” an accurate description of the current situation between Turkey and the Netherlands. Let’s look at the story of “greater” together before we judge from one perspective.

Today, Turkey began implementing a package of punitive decisions against the Netherlands, including banning any diplomatic communication between the two countries and prohibiting any Dutch governmental or diplomatic delegation from crossing into Turkish territory. They also proposed a bill to the parliament to cancel the Dutch-Turkish Friendship Agreement, a significant agreement politically, economically, militarily, and security-wise. In short, they’ve fallen out, leading to a complete break.

In brief, Erdogan is heading for a constitutional amendment for a public referendum. He wants to change the governance system in Turkey from parliamentary to presidential, meaning the president will have broader and greater powers. Erdogan has stated more than once that he is restrained against the coup plotters, their tails, and their deep state.

So, what does the Netherlands have to do with this? The Turkish community in the Netherlands is the third-largest gathering of Turks outside their country, with a total number exceeding 500,000 Turks, after Germany and Britain, which are in the millions. They all form a strong voting bloc capable of changing the outcome of any referendum. A shrewd politician must entertain them to please them.

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Cavusoglu - the biggest diplomatic head after Erdogan - announced that he would visit several countries to speak to the Turks in front of their embassies. The first country was Germany, which hesitantly responded that it’s better not to come, but he went anyway.

The second country the Turkish minister chose was the Netherlands. They responded that they were concerned about security and it would be better to postpone his arrival. The minister said enough is enough and responded with fiery statements, threatening to impose sanctions on the Netherlands if they prevented him from entering the country.

The Dutch Prime Minister withdrew the landing permit of the Turkish minister’s plane, saying they don’t work under threats. The Turkish minister turned back and attended another conference for the same event in France.

Erdogan appeared in a broadcasted conference, saying that the Dutch don’t understand politics and are remnants of the Nazis. “We will not be silent, and we will respond in a way that will deafen their ears.”

The Turkish Minister of Environment was in Germany, so she took her chance, got in her car, and went with a diplomatic delegation to attend the same gathering that the Foreign Minister couldn’t attend himself.

The Dutch Prime Minister instructed the interior ministry to prevent her and deport her to the German border. Not only that, but he also ordered the dispersal of the Turkish gathering in front of their embassy in the Netherlands by force, even though most of them are Dutch citizens. Photos spread of severe beatings and police dogs biting several citizens from the Turkish community there.

To add insult to injury, the minister was banned from entering the Netherlands for 10 years. Because there is no border security between European countries, if she enters, she will be imprisoned for six months.

Even more challenging is that there is a law approved by the European Union that if any country within the Schengen system bans someone, it is generalized to all countries operating under the system! Meaning the minister can’t enter most European countries.

The Dutch embassy in Turkey was closed, as well as the consulate, and the Dutch ambassador’s permit to return to Turkey was canceled. The charge d’affaires was summoned three times to receive letters of objection until the man was worn out.

As a reaction from the European Union countries, Denmark said it would cancel any Turkish gathering for the same issue. Sweden already canceled the gathering, and Germany responded that Erdogan’s description of the Dutch as Nazis is unacceptable.

The European Union called for calm but condemned Erdogan and supported the Netherlands. More than one European newspaper supported the Dutch position, including Swiss newspapers that put Erdogan’s picture and said, “Do not vote for this dictator.”

This is besides the far-right parties that took the story as an excuse to insult Islam and Muslims in general and called for decisions to ban them from entering Europe.

So, what’s the story of “greater” that we mentioned at the beginning of the topic?

The conflict between the Netherlands and Turkey is old despite appearances to the contrary. The Dutch stance has been genuinely strange and suspicious for a few years against Turkey. The Turkish explosion did not come from a vacuum. For example, the Netherlands and Austria have been among the strongest opponents of Turkey’s entry into the European Union over the past 25 years, without reason.

In January 2015, the Netherlands withdrew “Patriot” ground-to-air defense systems from Turkey that were placed to protect it from ISIS missiles. The declared reason by the Netherlands was “boredom.”

After the failed coup attempt, the Dutch Prime Minister said about the Turkish community that it would be better for them and the Netherlands if they returned to their country after they held a gathering supporting Erdogan after the coup.

Turkish officers involved in the coup were accepted as refugees in the Netherlands, and Turkey’s request for their extradition was rejected.

The Dutch Prime Minister came out and gave Dutch Muslims in general a choice: either they integrate with Dutch society’s values and customs or leave the country without regret.

And the major disaster… Turkey defeated the Netherlands in the Euro 2016 qualifiers with a score of 3:0, knocking the Netherlands out of the Euro and making the entire Dutch population upset with the Turks.

For those who like comparisons, who is stronger, the Netherlands or Turkey?

According to the International Monetary Fund, Turkey ranks 16th with a total purchasing power of 1.7 trillion dollars, and the Netherlands ranks 28th with a total of 900 billion dollars, according to the current IMF report.

For those who like it hot and fiery, in terms of military strength, Turkey ranks 8th in the ranking of the world’s strongest armies, and the Netherlands ranks 39th and cannot fight alone except through NATO.

As for allies and support, the world’s alliance map after Trump’s arrival has become very complicated, and also with Britain’s exit from the European Union. We can say that although the Netherlands is one of the leading countries in the European Union, Turkey is also in NATO.

On the contrary, Turkey has become a strong ally of Russia currently, and as they say, there is no love except after enmity. And paradoxically, the European Union cannot do without Turkey because it is its fifth-largest economic partner.

For those on this side or that, we assure you both, the quarrel between Turkey and the Netherlands will end with a nice reconciliation session. Erdogan has done it in the darkest of times before, the closest being with Russia.

Erdogan is playing politics, and those who classify him as a caliph or a great imam are mistaken. But with this last stance, he will gain a broad base of the Turkish people in the referendum. To the extent that Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the largest Turkish “opposition” party, strongly condemned the Dutch position and stood with Erdogan against them.

And the same goes for the Netherlands. Its Prime Minister, although right-wing and nationalist and not fond of foreigners, wants to score points in front of the far-right led by Geert Wilders, famous for his video against Erdogan and the Turks in general.

And regarding those who say Europe is right, and it is a land of freedoms, and Erdogan is arrogantly entering its territories, they should take a look at the stands and demonstrations that opposed Trump, and also those that supported him, how they were covered by security and safety in all European countries at that time. Where is the equal measure now, or is it because it’s Mama America and interests rule as we say?

Finally, looking to the left, the world is now much more difficult than judging it by one stance or another. Everyone has their agendas and goals, and those who see their interests through them only. The role and the rest are on the peoples who, when massacres, famines, poverty, and disease happen to them, or other peoples who have become beggars like us, no one looks at them or says where are you. Turkey and the Netherlands are two countries that made the whole world talk about their problem and feel sorry for them. As for us, whose problems reach the sky, no one acknowledges us.