What I find particularly chilling in this article is the following phrase: “…there are 140 Turkish imams [in the Netherlands], who are paid by the Turkish government”.
Turkey calls the Netherlands on the carpet
[October 20, 2010] On Monday the Turkish government called the Dutch chargé d’affaires in Ankara on the carpet over the Dutch coalition agreement. Ankara is concerned about the support of Geert Wilders’ PVV for the government, and the parts of the government agreement that affect the Turks.
This is according to insiders in the Turkish capital. Among other things, Ankara wants more clarification on government plans to restrict social security for Turks who have returned to their homeland.
The Turkish government also wants to know how serious the government’s intention is to commit itself to the adjustment of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Turkey. A court in Rotterdam recently ruled that the obligation to integrate for Turks is in conflict with that convention.
The [Dutch] state has appealed against that decision. But if on appeal it is confirmed that the integration requirement is in conflict with the treaty, the government should focus on the adaptation of it, in order to demand also the obligation for the Turks to integrate.
“We also received questions from the Turks about the views of Wilders on Islam,” said a Dutch diplomat. “But at that point we have a very clear story. These are positions that are not shared by the Dutch government. This is also in an annex to the support-agreement. We then say that in the Netherlands there are more than 400 mosques and that there are 140 Turkish imams, who are paid by the Turkish government.”
The Turkish government summoned the second-in-command from the embassy, as the ambassador is in the Hague at the moment.
