What should someone in the Netherlands do if someone says something “derogatory” or “defamatory” about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan? According to an email sent out by Ankara’s consulate in Rotterdam, Turkish organizations in the country should write in to report the insult.
This email, uncovered by Dutch news organizations Thursday, has sparked anger in the Netherlands, with the Dutch prime minister demanding an explanation from Turkish authorities. To Turkey’s critics, the message seems to show that Erdogan, long accused of cracking down on dissent domestically, is now abusing antiquated European laws in a bid to silence his international critics.
The news of the email comes less than a week after German Chancellor Angela Merkel herself announced that she would allow Jan Boehmermann, a German comedian and writer known for his acerbic style, to be prosecuted for a poem he had read on television about Erdogan. Boehmermann’s poem was designed to crudely mock the Turkish president.
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