Netherlands does not extradite terrorists to Turkey: Minister

ANKARA

The Netherlands “doesn’t extradite terrorists” to Turkey, even though Ankara has demanded the return of 11 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and five outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) militants, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has said. 

Bozdağ’s remarks came amid increasing tensions between The Netherlands and Turkey, after the Dutch authorities prevented Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya from meeting Turks living in the Netherlands after warning her that she was not welcome in the country.

“We’ve asked for the extradition of 11 PKK militants as part of legal processes, but they returned only one.
 We asked for the extradition of five DHKP-C militants, but they didn’t give any of them back. These numbers are from just the last 10 years,” Bozdağ said on March 13, adding that the PKK, the DHKP-C and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) were free to “carry out terrorist activities” in the country.

“In the Netherlands, it’s openly free for the PKK, DHKP-C and FETÖ terrorist organizations to carry out their activities, spread terror propaganda, finance terror, and recruit terrorists before sending them to terror groups. They have the right to freedom of movement, right to assemble, right to travel, and right to express themselves [in the Netherlands]. But Turkey’s legitimate government is banned from using its rights, which were guaranteed beyond dispute under the Vienna Convention,” he added, describing this as a “big contradiction.”

“FETÖ is able to carry out its activities with all freedoms and the [Dutch] government supports that. The same goes for the DHKP-C. Some of those who were involved in the coup attempt are being protected in the Netherlands,” Bozdağ said, referring to the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt, widely believed to have been carried out by followers of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.

“Let’s state it clearly: Whoever engages in acts against Turkey, the Turkish state and the Turkish nation, is a friend of the Netherlands. They are under protection there,” he said, while complaining that Turkey was being used for “election material” in many European countries. 

“Governments against Turkey are being elected in those countries. Material used for domestic politics is being formed through enmity against Turkey, the Turkish nation and xenophobia,” Bozdağ added.