Turkey’s dispute with Holland is not subsiding and the EU may suffer for it. Yesterday Erdogan stated he wants to press charges against Holland in the International Court at The Hague for human rights violations. He also expelled Holland’s ambassador to Turkey and cut off all future meetings with Holland diplomats and barred Holland Diplomats from entering Turkey.
The dispute began when a Turkish diplomat arriving in Holland wanted to speak before Turkish nationals residing in Holland at a political rally. The speech was to encourage their vote supporting the transfer of power to a presidential rule of Government. This step would bring Erdogan even closer to becoming the dictator he is hoping to become. Holland refused to let the diplomat enter the country. Erdogan responded by saying Holland is guilty of Nazism and supports terror.
The potential damage of this dispute extends beyond Holland and Turkey as Turkish officials threaten to punish the EU by stopping the immigrant agreements and flooding Europe with Islamic refugees which until now Turkey agreed to hold as they received great income from the deal. But now they may back out on Europe and let the immigrants flood Europe.
Germany the de-facto leader of the EU expressed support of Holland’s position and like Holland also prohibits Turkish diplomats from speaking to Turkish nationals in Germany. Since the unsuccessful coup against Erdogan Germany and the EU consider Erdogan’s steps to be an anti-democratic stranglehold on his opposition. Their disappointment with this is expressed in the sanctions Holland and Germany placed on Turkish Diplomats.
No matter what happens, the person who will gain immediately is Holland’s Prime Minister Mark Rutte. In two days is Holland’s general elections and surveys show that the people in Holland are very satisfied with how Rutte is handling the Turkish dispute. This will probably earn him a re-election.