Turkey Takes On The Netherlands And The EU

Banners reading in Turkish: ‘Our Decision is Yes”. referring to the upcoming referendum, are hanged outside a booth, in Istanbul, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Turkey’s government has been campaigning hard on the “yes” vote, including sending a variety of ministers and officials to deliver speeches to Turkey’s sizeable diaspora communities who are eligible to vote, including in Germany and the Netherlands that caused a diplomatic incident, after two Turkish ministers have been barred from making campaign speeches.
Banners reading in Turkish: 'Our Decision is Yes". referring to the upcoming referendum, are hanged outside a booth, in Istanbul, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Turkey's government has been campaigning hard on the "yes" vote, including sending a variety of ministers and officials to deliver speeches to Turkey's sizeable diaspora communities who are eligible to vote, including in Germany and the Netherlands that caused a diplomatic incident, after two Turkish ministers have been barred from making campaign speeches. Lefteris Pitarakis / AP Photo
Banners reading in Turkish: ‘Our Decision is Yes”. referring to the upcoming referendum, are hanged outside a booth, in Istanbul, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Turkey’s government has been campaigning hard on the “yes” vote, including sending a variety of ministers and officials to deliver speeches to Turkey’s sizeable diaspora communities who are eligible to vote, including in Germany and the Netherlands that caused a diplomatic incident, after two Turkish ministers have been barred from making campaign speeches.
Banners reading in Turkish: 'Our Decision is Yes". referring to the upcoming referendum, are hanged outside a booth, in Istanbul, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Turkey's government has been campaigning hard on the "yes" vote, including sending a variety of ministers and officials to deliver speeches to Turkey's sizeable diaspora communities who are eligible to vote, including in Germany and the Netherlands that caused a diplomatic incident, after two Turkish ministers have been barred from making campaign speeches. Lefteris Pitarakis / AP Photo

Turkey Takes On The Netherlands And The EU

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The Dutch have banned Turkish ministers from campaigning inside the Netherlands for an upcoming referendum in Turkey.

In April, Turkish citizens will vote on whether to change the Turkish system of government from a parliamentary one to a presidential one, giving the current president significantly more power. Turkish ministers planned to campaign Turks living in the Netherlands who are eligible to vote in the April referendum, but the Dutch government said it was concerned about safety and the potential for violence at campaign events. The fear is heightened due to this week’s election, which has a far right anti-Muslim candidate is one of the leading contenders. 

Turkey has retaliated by barring the Dutch ambassador. We talk about the diplomatic crisis with Mustafa Akyol, a senior visiting fellow at the Freedom Project at Wellesley College and author, most recently of The Islamic Jesus.