Turkish FM Insists on Netherlands Visit
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he would go to the Netherlands Saturday to drum up support for a high-stakes referendum, despite the Dutch government's refusal to facilitate his trip.
"I am going to Rotterdam today (Saturday)," Cavusoglu told CNN-Turk television in an interview. "We will impose heavy sanctions on the Netherlands" if the visit is blocked, he added.
Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders Thursday said his country would "in no way" facilitate Cavusoglu's planned visit.
"We will not participate in a visit by a Turkish government official who wants to conduct a political campaign for a referendum," Koenders said.
"Therefore we will not cooperate," he said, adding he had informed Cavusoglu.
Cavusoglu was penciled in to address a planned rally in the port city of Rotterdam Saturday to gather support for a referendum in Turkey next month, aimed at boosting the powers of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
But Rotterdam's mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb announced Wednesday the gathering was canceled after an owner said the rally's venue was no longer available.
