NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: Dutch members of parliament have cancelled a scheduled visit to Turkey after the Turkish government refused to meet with the delegation if anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders was part of it.
When the matter was put to a vote in Dutch parliament on Wednesday, all parties opted to cancel the visit, which was scheduled for January, even though Turkish members of parliament and local social organisations had said they would meet with the delegation regardless.
"This was a unanimous decision. We deeply regret the fact that this will make an effective dialogue impossible, but if the Turkish government refuses to meet with us, the most essential parts of our schedule will not be able to go ahead," Harm Evert Waalkens, leader of the parliamentary delegation, said on Wednesday. One of the main reasons for the visit was Turkey's accession to the European Union.
A representative of the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs called the Dutch parliament's decision "unilateral."
"We have made our point clear," the spokesperson said. "We have not forbidden Wilders to visit, but we are unwilling to roll out the red carpet for him since the media attention he will garner by coming to Turkey will overshadow all other members of the delegation. But we are not praising God for the fact that he will not be coming. We will evaluate the decision of the Dutch parliament." >>> By Handelsblad’s news staff | Thursday, December 03, 2009
