Turkey Criticizes Netherlands Over PKK Newroz Rally

Turkey hit out at the Netherlands on Tuesday for allowing Newroz celebrations staged by the PKK terror group to go ahead in The Hague.



In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: "It is unacceptable for the Netherlands… to allow a terrorist organization to hold an event in which slogans are made against a referendum to be held in our country."



It accused the Dutch government of having "violated the agreements that regulate diplomatic and consular relations and the freedom of expression and assembly by preventing the Turkish community living in their lands from meeting with the Turkish authorities".



In recent weeks, Amsterdam has refused to allow Turkish ministers to campaign in the Netherlands for a Yes vote in the forthcoming constitutional referendum to grant wide-ranging powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.



The ministry said the Netherlands, which, along with other EU members, recognizes the PKK as a terrorist group, had allowed PKK sympathizers to use the group's symbols and pictures of its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan at the event.



On Saturday, German officials allowed PKK followers to march in Frankfurt with posters and flags despite a ban on the display of terrorist symbols in public places.



Germany has also angered Ankara by canceling referendum campaign events planned by Turkish ministers and Erdogan.



The Newroz festival, which marks the start of the new year, has been celebrated for more than 18 centuries across Anatolia and central Asia. -