Far right Wilders "kissed the ground" in Turkey

ISTANBUL

Populist Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders reacts at a news conference in The Hague March 5, 2012. REUTERS/Michael Kooren

Far right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, known for his views opposing Turkey and Islam, admitted to kissing the ground when he arrived in Turkey from Iran, private broadcaster NTV reported on its website.

Wilders wrote about his escape from Iranian soil following warnings from the Iranian Justice Ministry due to his statements about the country, and how he kissed the ground in Istanbul "like the Pope" as soon as he arrived.

Wilders was in Iran in 1994, while he was a member of Parliament from his previous party. The book, coming out in May, is titled "Marked for Death: Islam's War Against the West and Me."

Wilders has recently launched a campaign against Turkish President Abdullar Gül, prior to Gül's official visit to the Netherlands. President Gül has played down the campaign, asking the Dutch people not to "feel ashamed" of Wilders' acts. "This type of person exists in every country," Gül said.