Bourgeois rebukes Turkish embassy spokesperson
Minister-president Geert Bourgeois has responded to a statement by an embassy spokesperson calling for the government to investigate Turkish opposition activity in Limburg
‘Absolutely unacceptable’
In a statement, Veysel Filiz said the movement in support of opposition leader Fethullah Gülen was behind the failed coup in Turkey last week. “They are terrorists, nothing more, just like IS or [the Kurdish independence movement] PKK,” Filiz said.
Bourgeois issued a statement in response, in which he said it was “absolutely unacceptable” for an embassy employee to presume to give instructions to the Flemish government. He quoted the Vienna Convention of 1961, which governs diplomatic relations between countries, Article 41 of which states: “It is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State.”
He also stressed that the laws and values of Flanders are those of the rule of law. “I will not tolerate accusations that the Flemish government supports terrorist organisations. That is too crazy for words. If anyone has evidence of unlawful practices, let them file a complaint with our independent justice system.”
Bourgeois said he would be contacting the Turkish ambassador to express his concerns over the statements of his employee. He repeated an earlier call for calm, made following clashes between Turkish opposition supporters and police in Beringen, Limburg, for “Turkish tensions not to be imported into Flanders”.
Photo courtesy VRT
