Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has lashed out at far-right politician Geert Wilders for insulting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
At a recent news conference in London, PVV leader Wilders called the Turkish PM “a total freak”. In his weekly TV interview, Prime Minister Balkenende denounced Mr Wilders’ slur as “absolutely irresponsible”. “One may disagree with policies, but it is unacceptable in international diplomacy to use these sort of terms. If the Netherlands is going to operate in this style, the country will face big problems,” the PM stressed.
Mr Balkenende warned that statements such as the one made by Mr Wilders could harm employment and companies in the Netherlands.
Last week, the head of the Dutch employers’ federation (VNO-NCW), Bernard Wientjes, also warned that Mr Wilders is damaging Dutch interests. He described Mr Wilders’ remarks about the Turkish PM as “outrageous”.