ISTANBUL: Turkey's red meat association has ordered a consignment of prize Dutch cattle to be sent back to the Netherlands, saying it no longer wants to farm the cows due to the diplomatic crisis between the countries.
Bulent Tunc, the head of the Turkish Association of Red Meat Producers, told Turkish media that a symbolic consignment of 40 Holstein Friesian cattle was already being sent back to the Netherlands.
"The Dutch Holstein cows have become very common in our country. But this breed is starting to cause serious problems," he told the Anadolu news agency.
"In future we do not want animal products from Holland. The first batch of Holsteins have been loaded and we will send them back," he added.
He said Turkey should start focusing on breeding its own cattle. "We have our own quality breeds," he said.
Tunc later told the Hurriyet daily that a symbolic number of 40 cattle had been loaded for sending back to Holland from the Biga dairy production site in the western Canakkale province.
"If they don't accept them back then we will distribute the cuts" after slaughter, he added.
Turkey and the Netherlands are going through their most explosive crisis after The Hague blocked Turkish ministers from holding rallies to back constitutional changes expanding Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers.
Turkey has suspended high-level relations with The Netherlands and blocked its ambassador — currently outside the country — from returning to his post.
The government has also said economic sanctions could be imposed against the Netherlands — a key trade partner and investor — but has not given details.
You have lost Turkey as a friend: Erdogan tells Dutch PM
Turkish president threatens to end migrant deal with EU amid spat
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday told the Dutch prime minister he had lost Turkey as a friend, despite Mark Rutte’s victory over the far-right in parliamentary elections.
“Hey Rutte! You may have emerged as the number one party in the election but you must know that you have lost Turkey as your friend,” Erdogan said in a televised speech, amid a diplomatic crisis with The Hague due to the blocking of campaign rallies by Turkish ministers.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier said there was “no difference” between the ruling Dutch liberals and the “fascist” anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders.
Cavusoglu also predicted that “religious wars” will start in Europe due to the rise of the far right.
Turkey and Europe have been locked in a diplomatic spat after The Netherlands and Germany blocked Turkish ministers from holding campaign rallies to secure a ‘yes’ vote in next month’s referendum on expanding Erdogan’s powers.
Erdogan ridiculed Rutte who Turkish officials said had told Prime Minister Binali Yildirim that the two sides could iron out their differences over dinner.
“He says ‘we can have dinner with the prime minister after the election’. There’s no such prime minister. You have lost” Turkey, said Erdogan.
Erdogan also accused the EU’s top court of starting a “crusade” against Islam after a ruling allowing European companies to ban employees from wearing religious or political symbols including the Islamic headscarf.
“The European Union’s court, The European Court of Justice, my esteemed brothers, have started a crusade struggle against the (Muslim) crescent,” Erdogan said,
“Where is freedom of religion?” he said, referring to the court ruling this week.
“Shame on your European Union acquis!” Erdogan said, referring to EU law. “Shame on your values. Shame on your law and justice!”
“Europe is swiftly rolling back to the days before World War II,” he added.
The European Court of Justice said it does not constitute “direct discrimination” if a firm has an internal rule banning the wearing of “any political, philosophical or religious sign”.
Erdogan also threatened to scrap a deal with the European Union to readmit migrants who have crossed illegally into Europe.
He said the EU could “forget about” a migrant deal first struck in 2013 and revived last year. Turkey had agreed to work to keep migrants from crossing into the EU in return for funds to help it deal with some 3 million refugees.
Meanwhile, the French and German leaders on Thursday condemned Erdogan’s “unacceptable” remarks accusing Germany and the Netherlands of acting like “Nazis”.
Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel “consider comparisons with Nazism and aggressive statements against Germany and other member states unacceptable”, they said in a joint statement after speaking by telephone, the French president’s office said.
While Erdogan has repeatedly accused the countries of acting like “Nazis”, the European Union has warned Ankara to show moderation in its language.
