Turkey, Netherlands agree to normalise ties

Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president

Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president

Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president

Turkey and the Netherlands have agreed to normalise ties, Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Friday, restoring relations that have been strained since a 2017 diplomatic row.

`The decision was reached in a phone call between Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Dutch counterpart, Stef Blok.

“During this telephone conversation, the ministers agreed to normalise diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey.

“To that extent, the ministers agreed to reinstate ambassadors in Ankara and the Hague shortly,’’ the foreign ministry said.

The Dutch foreign minister also said in a letter to parliament that ambassadors for both sides would be reinstated.

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The two governments fell out over the Netherlands’ decision to bar Turkish officials from campaigning among the Turkish Diasporas before Turkey’s April 2017 constitutional referendum, when the Netherlands was holding its own elections.

The Netherlands said it had formally withdrawn its ambassador to Ankara in February, due to the row.

Following that decision, Turkey said diplomatic relations would be maintained on the charge d’affaires level.

Cavusoglu said in an interview with private broadcaster NTV that Blok would visit Turkey within a couple of months.

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