Dutch government reluctant to intervene over Kurd on trial in Turkey
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok told Dutch parliamentarians during a debate on Wednesday that the government would not demand the release of a Dutch-Kurdish politician who is on trial in Turkey because the Netherlands wants to preserve its relations with Turkey.
Murat Memis, 31, the faction leader of the Socialist Party (SP) in the Eindhoven city council, was arrested on April 30 in Turkey.
Memis was released four days later but is unable to leave the country pending a trial set to take place on July 1.
Blok refused demands from a majority of the Dutch parties to call Memis a political prisoner and to request his release.
According to the foreign minister, he does not want to interfere in the Turkish judicial process, a demand a majority of the Dutch Parliament made.
Blok said he fears it would negatively affect Memis and 19 other Dutch citizens that are not permitted to leave Turkey due to ongoing trials.
Murat Memiş, @SPnl raadslid in Eindhoven, is in Turkije gearresteerd en mag het land niet uit
— Sandra Beckerman (@SandraBeckerman) June 26, 2019
Vanochtend demonstreerde zijn familie met kamerleden @VVD @groenlinks @50pluspartij en SP voor zijn vrijlating
Minister Blok: spreek je uit!#FreeMuratMemis https://t.co/RdGbBfrRui pic.twitter.com/3rla1Onk7O
Most of them are being prosecuted for being critical of the government or being involved with Kurdish politics.
In April, a Dutch-Kurdish woman and her 5-year-old daughter were jailed in Turkey for being “active” in the Kurdish community.
The Dutch minister argued that silent diplomacy is preferred over a more confrontational approach.
However, in a rare agreement, the majority of Dutch parties requested Memis be released, arguing he is being prosecuted while using his right to freedom of speech by supporting Kurds on Twitter.
“The Dutch Parliament is clear. Murat Memis should be released. Dutch political prisoners should be released. The minister has to do his job,” Sadet Karabulut, an MP for the SP, wrote on Twitter.
De Tweede Kamer is duidelijk. Murat Memiş moet vrij. Nederlands politiek gevangenen moeten vrij. Politiek gevangenen moeten vrij. De minister moet aan het werk. #Turkije#Muratmoetvrij pic.twitter.com/gK7jZNjMrf
— Sadet Karabulut (@SadetKarabulut) June 26, 2019
Dutch-Turkish relations improved in 2018, and diplomatic ties were restored after a brief crisis between the two nations in the run-up to a 2017 referendum on constitutional amendments in Turkey.
Foreign Minister Blok has highlighted the importance of economic relations between the two countries on several occasions.
Furthermore, there has been a Turkey-EU deal in place since 2016 to stop refugees who flee Syria from reaching Europe.
Serpil Ates, a member of The Hague city council for the Groen Links party, previously told Kurdistan 24 that the Dutch government prefers economic interests over human rights.
“They rather have Turkey take care of refugees rather than protect their own citizens and politicians.”
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany