Dutch mayor gives go ahead to pro-Turkish rally

pulse

March 16, 2017 9:46 PM

The move came in the midst of an increasingly vitriolic dispute between Ankara and the European Union.

People wave Turkish national flags during a demostration near the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam on March 11, 2017

Rotterdams mayor gave his authorisation Thursday for a pro-Turkish protest against the Dutch polices handling of a violent demonstration in the port city last weekend.

The move came in the midst of an increasingly vitriolic dispute between Ankara and the EU after several countries including The Netherlands blocked Turkish ministers from attending campaign rallies to support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Dutch police on Saturday used dogs, horses and a water cannon against stone-throwing pro-Turkish rioters in Rotterdam who staged an unauthorised protest against the bans.

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb has given his approval for a new demonstration at 1600 GMT on Friday starting outside Rotterdam's central station.

"The demonstration has been asked for to defend the rights of Turks," said his spokesman Lennart de Jong.

Both Germany and The Netherlands blocked Turkish ministers from staging rallies to court the vote of expatriate Turks in an April 16 referendum on giving Erdogan greater powers.

Ankara was especially angered by The Netherlands which prevented the Turkish foreign minister's plane from landing and expelled the family minister, unleashing a string of Nazi jibes by Erdogan.

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