The Netherlands has pulled one if its diplomats out of Turkey on Monday after Turkish media reported that the consulate worker used to be uncovered in the route of spying activities.
The Dutch foreign ministry stated the diplomat, who worked on the Dutch consulate in Istanbul, left Turkey out of considerations for his safety.
« For his hold safety – attributable to the publicity – the respectable in interrogate left Turkey on Monday. He worked on the Dutch Consulate Identical outdated in Istanbul, and used to be additionally guilty for regional activities, » the ministry stated in an announcement.
A Turkish respectable told Al Jazeera that the diplomat used to be uncovered by the Turkish intelligence agency, MIT, while he used to be engaged in intelligence activities.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the respectable stated that the diplomat used to be working to salvage data on Turkey’s armed forces operation in the northwestern Syrian put of Afrin.
« The Turkish authorities did no longer construct a diplomatic pass to deport the Dutch diplomat after the evidence used to be gathered and allowed him to leave the country, » he stated.
Several internal most Turkish media networks were working footage, allegedly showing the diplomat in the route of conferences with sources in Istanbul.
Al Jazeera contacted the Dutch authorities for observation but did no longer acquire a response on the spying claims on the time of newsletter.
Tense family members
Turkish forces and the Free Syrian Navy (FSA) opponents started the armed forces operation into Afrin in slack January to make your mind up out a US-backed Kurdish militia – identified because the Other folk’s Protection Gadgets (YPG) – conclude to its border. Ankara describes the armed group as « terrorists ».
Relatives between Ankara and the Netherlands were tense in recent months.
Turkey slammed the Dutch parliament’s vote to recognise the World Wrestle I killings of Armenians in the route of the Ottoman Empire as « genocide » ultimate month.
Relatives hit one other low in March 2017 when the Netherlands, amongst totally different European countries, banned Turkish ministers from addressing immigrants and expatriates in rallies internal its borders for a referendum that later changed Turkey’s parliamentary arrangement to an government presidency.
Dutch authorities actively intervened to prevent a Turkish minister from reaching a consulate in the country to address Turks living there, ensuing in a diplomatic disaster.
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