Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Netherlands party challenges Turkey’s NATO membership
JPost ^ | 12-26-11 | BENJAMIN WEINTHAL

Posted on 12/28/2011 7:02:40 AM PST by bayouranger

Ankara accused of ‘abandoning’ Israel and France by Dutch Freedom Party.

BERLIN – The Dutch Freedom Party, the Netherlands’s third largest political party, urged the Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministries last week to reconsider Turkey’s continued membership in NATO.

Geert Wilders, head of the party, and its Mideast expert, deputy Wim Kortenoeven, accused Turkey of abandoning its allies – Israel earlier this year, and now France.

Turkey severed diplomatic and military ties with France last week, over the French parliamentary resolution on the current Turkish government’s reaction to the Ottoman Empire’s massacre of Christian Armenians in 1915. The empire preceded the modern secular Turkish state founded in 1923, and the French deemed the state’s denial that these events represented genocide to be punishable by a monetary fine.

France is a leading member of the NATO military alliance, as is Holland.

Kortenoeven, a leading European specialist on the Mideast and author of several books on the region, told The Jerusalem Post that since Turkey has a short but disturbing history of abandoning allies, it could be a lethal mistake to entrust them with the custody of a crucial element of the new Western/European defense system against nuclear rogue states such as Iran and Pakistan. The Dutch lawmakers asked that the slated missile shield to be installed in Turkey be reconsidered.

The party’s military spokesman, Marcial Hernandez, also posed questions to the ministries regarding Turkey’s reliability as a NATO partner.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide stated that it is unlikely that countries such as the Netherlands or Germany will follow the French example and pass resolutions against Turkey.

Larissa van den Herik, professor of international law at Leiden University, was cited as saying: “Both countries have large Turkish communities. No one will be keen to offend them with a ban. But it would be good to put a bit more pressure on Turkey. It’s always good to take an honest look at your history.”

The Dutch Freedom Party opposes militant Islam and has generated much controversy in Europe due to its criticisms of political and reactionary strands of Islam in Holland and throughout Europe. The party played a kingmaker role in the last national election and helped establish the current coalition government.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: france; geertwilders; holland; islam; israel; nato; netherlands; turkey

1 posted on 12/28/2011 7:02:47 AM PST by bayouranger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: bayouranger

“Who remembers the Armenian massacres today?”

-Adolph Hitler, contemplating the final solution.


2 posted on 12/28/2011 7:09:54 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Ceterum autem censeo, Obama delenda est.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bayouranger
It’s always good to take an honest look at your history.”

Yes, it is.

3 posted on 12/28/2011 7:10:22 AM PST by Riodacat (And when all is said and done, there'll be a hell of a lot more said than done......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bayouranger
“Both countries have large Turkish communities. No one will be keen to offend them with a ban...It’s always good to take an honest look at your history.”

As it is good to take an honest look at your immigration policy.

4 posted on 12/28/2011 7:11:53 AM PST by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bayouranger
...the French deemed the state’s denial that these events represented genocide to be punishable by a monetary fine.

Has there ever been a douchier country on earth than France?

5 posted on 12/28/2011 9:25:45 AM PST by Mr. Bird
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Bird

To their defense this American runs again...

The fine is 45,000 Euros & a year in the pokie.

That’s like....65 cents over here.

J/j


6 posted on 12/28/2011 11:18:12 AM PST by bayouranger (The 1st victim of islam is the person who practices the lie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Bird
Well, isn't 'Douche' a french word? I guess that means they invented it.

Why is this action particularly 'douchy'?

7 posted on 12/28/2011 11:18:43 AM PST by Jabba the Nutt (.Are they stupid, malicious or evil?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks bayouranger.


8 posted on 12/30/2011 2:23:24 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! May 2013 be even Happier!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson