Canberk Yüksel
16 March 2017•Update: 17 March 2017
NEW YORK
Turkey’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Wednesday notified the global body of what it said were international law violations committed by the Dutch government.
Amsterdam breached the Vienna Convention on consular and diplomatic relations in its conduct towards Turkish Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya and mission officials, according to the diplomatic note seen by Anadolu Agency.
Diplomatic passports belonging to Minister Kaya and her team were confiscated by police officers that intervened in a Turkish mission vehicle carrying the minister, said the note addressed to the UN Secretary-General.
The officers then detained her at a police station for 90 minutes before forcibly driving her to the German border, the note added.
Kaya was prevented from making contact to any Turkish mission officials throughout the journey, and Consulate personnel were barred from leaving the building to greet her, according to the note.
It said a Turkish charge d’affaires, a consul general, and two foreign service officers were detained and all their belongings confiscated.
“These actions are in contravention of diplomatic courtesy as well as the fundamental principles of international customary law,” the Turkish mission wrote.
The mission requested that the note be added to a UN General Assembly report on protection of diplomatic missions and distributed to all member states.
Addressing a UN session on Wednesday, Minister Kaya spoke of the "inhumane treatment" she endured from the Dutch government.
"The Netherlands violated several European and UN conventions by restricting the freedom of speech and movement of a woman minister who has diplomatic immunity," she said.
Kaya said special operations officers who surrounded her vehicle were authorized to use deadly force and Turkish citizens waiting to welcome her were attacked by police dogs and horses.
"On behalf of my country and all women, I strongly condemn this biased, racist and xenophobic treatment,” Kaya added.
