Dutch authorities treated me harshly: Female Turkish minister

Istanbul [Turkey], Mar. 12 (ANI): Turkish Family and Social Policies Minister, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, has alleged that she suffered "harsh and rude treatment" at the hands of Dutch authorities when she was blocked from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam late Saturday night. Kaya said even the Turkish consul was not allowed to meet her outside the consulate, reported Anadolu news agency. She said that she was taken to Germany via the Nijmegen border as democratic and humanitarian values were trampled underfoot. "We received an inhumane and unethical treatment," the minister said. "We were treated harshly and rudely. The European attitude towards a female minister three days after the International Women's Day is a tragicomedy. All this happened as Europe repeatedly spoke about human rights and freedoms," she said. Five members of her security detail were also detained late Saturday, she added. Commenting on the issue, Energy Minister Berat Albayrak said it was "a night of shame for the Netherlands". He said it was "quite alarming" that most of his European colleagues avoided making a public statement to condemn the incident. Yesterday, The Netherlands denied flight permit Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and then blocked a convoy carrying the Family Minister from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam. As the diplomatic row escalated, policemen sealed off the entrances and exits of roads to Dutch consulate due to security concerns following protests those staged in solidarity with Cavusoglu and Kaya. The Netherlands is not the first country to impose such a ban. The ties between Ankara and Berlin strained in recent months after a ban on rallies by Turkish ministers in Germany. Germany had revoked its permission for Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag's meeting, citing concerns about overcrowding. The planned rallies by Turkish ministers in countries with native population come ahead of the April 16 referendum in Turkey that would expand the powers of the President. (ANI)