The Netherlands and Turkey restore diplomatic relations

THE HAGUE - The Netherlands and Turkey are restoring mutual diplomatic relations, which means that there will be a Turkish ambassador in The Hague and a Dutch ambassador in Ankara, said Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok on Friday.

Blok writes to the parliament that he had new conversations with his Turkish colleague recently. "These talks have led to Turkey and the Netherlands having decided to normalize diplomatic relations," said the minister.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a new ambassador would be sent to Ankara as soon as possible and that decision must first be approved by the Council of Ministers.

It has also been agreed that the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs will make an official visit to Turkey in the near future, according to Dutch news website NU.nl.

Relations between the Netherlands and Turkey went sour after the Netherlands banned two Turkish ministers in March last year to campaign in the Netherlands for their President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan then accused the Netherlands of Nazism and fascism, and declared that the Dutch ambassador was no longer welcome.

As long as the Netherlands has no ambassador to Turkey, the Netherlands did not issue permission for a new Turkish ambassador to take up duties in the Netherlands.