Turkey, Netherlands decide to normalize bilateral relations
TURKEY and the Netherlands have decided to normalize bilateral relations after a year of hiatus, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Friday in a written statement. The decision reportedly was reached in a phone call between Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok.
“During this telephone conversation, the ministers agreed to normalize diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey. To that extent, the ministers agreed to reinstate ambassadors in Ankara and The Hague shortly,” the statement said.
During the phone conversation, the ministers also agreed that the Dutch minister of Foreign Affairs would pay an official visit to Turkey in the second half of 2018.
Relations between Turkey and the Netherlands soured prior to the Dutch general elections on March 2017. Looking to attract votes from nationalists, the previous Dutch government exerted a number of undemocratic actions against Turkish politicians.
According to the statement, both countries ministers met in the margins of the NATO Summit in Brussels on July 11. “The ministers discussed the regretful events that took place in March 2017, which resulted in a deterioration of the relations between the Netherlands and Turkey. The two ministers underlined that Turkey and the Netherlands have been two friendly countries and NATO allies that have many common interests. They have had intensive relations for over four centuries, have been NATO allies for over six decades and enjoy substantial trade and investment ties” the statement said.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Friday, Çavuşoğlu underscored the need to leave behind issues that block the two countries’ strategic cooperation on a range of issues. He added: “My Dutch counterpart has conveyed a letter to me and affirmed willingness to normalize relations. Upon his letter, I have also spoke to him over the phone and agreed to pave the way for our relations.”
“In this context, we agreed to make a joint statement as a first step. We also agreed to bilaterally reinstate our ambassadors shortly.”
Çavuşoğlu further noted: “I have also invited my Dutch counterpart to visit Turkey in efforts to determine a road map that would re-rail our relations to its initial state and to re-establish the dialogue and trust between the two countries.”
Recalling that a big Turkish community comprised of about 450,000 people are living in the Netherlands, the Turkish foreign minister asserted that Turkey will act accordingly to the country’s national interests in its foreign policy. Following the meeting at the NATO Summit, both ministers took the initiative to contact one another again. The Netherlands’ minister of Foreign Affairs wrote a letter to the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs, whereas the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs called the Netherlands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs. During this telephone conversation, the ministers agreed to normalize diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey.
“The two ministers stated their respective countries’ readiness for normalization of affairs between Turkey and the Netherlands. They underlined the importance of strategic cooperation between both countries on a range of issues, such as migration, combating terrorism and fostering economic cooperation,” added the statement.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry in February this year, said it had formally withdrawn its ambassador to Turkey, who has been physically barred from the country for almost a year, over a dispute that began in March 2017. The Netherlands also has not accepted the appointment of a new Turkish ambassador to the Netherlands. It declined a landing permit to a plane carrying Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who was scheduled to speak at a meeting in Rotterdam. The authorities also barred Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, the family minister at that time, from entering the Turkish Consulate in Rotterdam. She was forced to remain inside her vehicle for hours before being deported to Germany.
The incidents drew severe criticism from Ankara and the Foreign Ministry asked the off-duty Dutch ambassador in Ankara, who was on leave, not to return “for a while.”
After months of negotiations, the Dutch coalition government was formed on Oct. 26. The absence of Bert Koenders, who was seen as the one responsible for the heightened tension, in the new Dutch cabinet has opened up the opportunity to normalize bilateral relations between the two countries.
The warm relations between Turkey and the Netherlands date back to the 17th century. The 400th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Turkey and the Netherlands was celebrated in 2012. In addition to close diplomatic relations between the two countries, the economic ties are of tremendous importance. The bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Holland stood at $7.610 billion in 2017, which corresponded to an increase of 15.5 percent compared to the year before. In the period of 2002-September 2017, direct investments from the Netherlands to Turkey amounted to $23.75 billion.
Furthermore, Turkey has long been a top holiday destination for Dutch tourists. Approximately 800,000 Dutch tourists visited Turkey in 2017. Also, close to 400,000 Turkish citizens currently live in the Netherlands.