Turkey refuses to talk to Wilders

Dutch parlementarians will not go to Turkey over Wilders row. Dutch delegation's Turkey trip cancelled over Wilders.

The Dutch parliament said the MPs have decided to cancel a trip to Turkey after Turkish government said Geert Wilders is unwelcome in the Islamic country. A delegation of Dutch parliamentarians to visit Turkey in January has been cancelled after members of the Turkish government refused to meet anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders

Ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin said:

We reject the racist views of this person... He is unwelcome in many European countries as well

The Turkish spokesman is probably referring to the UK, which refused entry to Wilders earlier in 2009. But a British judge refused to uphold that decision.

At the head of the Party for Freedom, he [Wilders] has also voiced fierce opposition to Turkey's European Union membership bid, likening the country to a Trojan horse whose accession would prompt more Muslims to immigrate to Europe.

The Turkish parlementarians probably thought that the other members of the Dutch delegation would not support Wilders and isolate him. The refusal of the Dutch MPs to make the trip to Turkey causes a dent in Turkish and Dutch relations and is a good thing for The Netherlands. I do sincerely hope that more meetings of Dutch politicians with politicians from Muslim countries will be severed and that the influence of Islam on Dutch politics will decrease accordingly. This is a good example of the positive influence Wilders already has, without even having any formal power.