Dutch government formally withdraws Turkish ambassador over 2017 row

AMSTERDAM - Reuters

The Dutch Foreign Ministry on Feb. 5 said it had formally withdrawn its ambassador to Turkey, who has been physically barred from the country for almost a year, over a dispute that began during March 2017.

As a result, the Netherlands will also not accept the appointment of a new Turkish ambassador to the Netherlands.

In a statement, the ministry said it has "paused" talks with Turkey on resolving the matter.

The two governments originally fell out over the Netherlands' decision to block visas for Turkish officials to campaign among the Turks in the Netherlands in favor of Turkey's constitutional referendum in March. The Netherlands was holding its own national elections at the time, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blasted the Dutch government for using “Nazi” and “fascist” measures.