Turkey summons Dutch envoy over Rotterdam police action

Turkey summoned the Dutch envoy in Ankara to complain about the actions of Rotterdam police against Turkish protesters over the weekend as a row over Ankara’s political campaigning abroad widened.

The Dutch Embassy’s charge d’affaires, Daan Feddo Huisinga, was called on Monday to the Foreign Ministry where a senior official handed him two formal protest notes.

In the note, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned what it said were practices contrary to international conventions and diplomatic courtesy and immunities, and requested a written apology from the Dutch authorities.

WATCH: Turkey-Netherlands war of words intensifies

Turkey also reserved its right to seek compensation, the Dutch diplomat was told.

The second note protested against the treatment of Turkish citizens who had gathered outside the Turkish Consulate in Rotterdam, saying “disproportionate force” had been used against “people using their right to peaceful gatherings”.

“The Turkish community and our citizens were subject to bad treatment, with inhumane and humiliating methods used in disproportionate intervention against people exercising their right to peaceful assembly,” a statement attributed to ministry sources said.

It was the third time the Dutch charge d’affaires had been summoned since Saturday over the row. 

The Dutch ambassador is on leave and the Turkish foreign ministry has said it does not want him to return “for some time”.

READ MORE: Turkey-Netherlands row shows no sign of ebbing

Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said there were no protests in the city and that there were hopes the situtation between the two countries would be resolved soon.

“It seems like the diplomatic relationship between the two countries will be dealt with within the diplomatic framework,” she said.

On Sunday night, Dutch riot police were called in to end a protest by Turks in Amsterdam and arrested 13 people.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s President, on Sunday vowed to retaliate against the Netherlands after claiming that “Nazism is alive in the West.” Dutch officials have condemned the statements.

The Turkish government has sought to hold campaign rallies in European countries to appeal for Turkish diaspora votes to help secure victory in a referendum next month that would grant Erdogan sweeping executive powers.

In the run-up to a general election next week in the Netherlands, the Dutch government cited security and public order concerns over a proposed Turkish rally and withdrew landing rights for the Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The Dutch authorities later prevented Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, Turkey’s family minister, from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam, before escorting her out of the country to Germany.