Netherlands expels Turkish minister

Dutch police have taken a Turkish minister out of the country after preventing her from attending a rally Amsterdam protested against.

Dutch riot police were called in to maintain order.

Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, Türkiye's Minister for Family Affairs, and her relatives were returned to the Dutch border with Germany today, RTL News reported.

Earlier, Ms. Kaya was arrested by police for trying to participate in a protest at the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam. This is an activity of the Turkish government to call on people living in the Netherlands to vote in favor of constitutional amendments to increase the power of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

"Minister Kaya is on her way back to Germany, escorted by police. Her car was asked to leave. This also applies to her bodyguards and staff," said Ahmed Aboutaleb, mayor of Rotterdam.

Mr Aboutaleb also accused Turkish officials at the consulate general of misleading him about Ms Kaya's visit by not disclosing the protest plans.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the Turkish minister's visit to the country "irresponsible", and the Erdogan administration's arguments "unacceptable".

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said the Dutch authorities' actions against Minister Kaya were a mistake, saying Amsterdam "violated all diplomatic and international rules" by disregarding her immunity.

Hundreds of angry Turks remained in central Rotterdam even after the protest ended when Ms Kaya’s car was asked to leave by police. Some threw rocks and bottles at riot police.

Dutch police had to use water cannons, dogs and batons to disperse the crowd in front of the Turkish consulate.

Relations between the Netherlands and Türkiye are increasingly tense after Amsterdam blocked the Turkish foreign minister's plane from flying to Rottersdam for a rally. President Erdogan also called Amsterdam's actions "fascist remnants". Türkiye has sealed off the Dutch embassy and consulate general.

Mr Yıldırım said today that he would respond to the Netherlands' actions to ban Turkish diplomats in the "harshest ways".

According to Sputnik