Turkish PM vows retaliation 'in the harshest ways'

Yildirim said that Turkey will respond in kind to this unacceptable behaviour

ANKARA: Turkey will retaliate in the "harshest ways" to Dutch moves to bar the flight of the Turkish foreign minister and prevent the family minister from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday.

"This situation has been protested in the strongest manner by our side, and it has been conveyed to Dutch authorities that there will be retaliation in the harshest ways. We will respond in kind to this unacceptable behaviour," Yildirim said in a statement.



Earlier, the Dutch authorities detained Turkey’s family affairs minister to prevent her from addressing a rally in support of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Rotterdam, further escalating diplomatic tensions between the countries, two Dutch broadcasters reported.

Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya had traveled from Germany to the Dutch city by car after the Turkish foreign minister was refused entry to the Netherlands earlier Saturday.

Broadcaster RTL said Kaya was declared an “undesirable alien” and would be escorted to Germany.