Thursday, March 30, 2017

Dutch Intelligence Services Violated Eavesdropping Rules

The body which oversees the intelligence services, CTIVD, has concluded that between October 2015 and March 2016, the Dutch intelligence services, AIVD and MIVD, violated multiple rules by eavesdropping on conversations with lawyers and journalists.  They did so without the necessary permission from a special commission. 

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Netherlands Helps Big International Companies to Avoid Tax

Government officials have warned Dutch Deputy Minister of Finance, Eric Wiebes, that the Netherlands will face increasing European pressure to change its fiscal approach of helping big companies to avoid paying tax abroad.  The rules for this have been hidden from parliament despite various requests.  One expert summarized it saying:  “We don’t think it is a problem to help companies avoid tax as long as it isn’t forbidden.  It is legal, we earn money from it.  Why should we stop.”

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Amsterdam: Blood Test possibly infected Tens

About 60 people who had their blood sugar levels tested at the GGD (Municipal Health Service) in Amsterdam city center may have been infected with HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. "It is a very small chance", GGD spokesperson stressed, but the chance exists. The Healthcare Inspectorate also launched an investigation.

http://nltimes.nl/2017/03/24/blood-test-possibly-infected-dozens-amsterdam-hiv-hepatitis

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Half at Risk Households in Trouble

Increasingly tenants in rent controlled property are getting into financial difficulty as rents continue to rise. This results from a report by  the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. In 2012, 37% of high-risk tenants were at risk of having problems paying their bills over the previous three year period, but this had risen to almost 55% by 2015, the agency said.
 www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/03/more-tenants-struggle-to-pay-their-bills-half-at-risk-households-in-trouble/

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Erdogan Wanted Huge Meeting in the Netherlands

Even before two Turkish ministers wanted to speak in the Netherlands and were prevented from doing so, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to visit the Netherlands and speak in a stadium to Dutch Turks.  All possible major covered locations however refused to rent their space.  This led to the cancellation of his visit. 

http://nltimes.nl/2017/03/23/erdogan-wanted-hold-massive-stadium-sized-rally-netherlands-report

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Portuguese Prime Minister calls for Dijsselbloem to stand down

The head of Eurozone finance ministers, outgoing Dutch Labour Party Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has said: “Anyone demanding EU solidarity also has obligations.” He added: "I can't spend all my money on liqueurs and women and then go and ask for your support." This is seen as an attack on indebted southern European states. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has said Dijsselbloem should stand down as head of the Eurogroup. Italy's ex-prime minister, Matteo Renzi, took to Facebook to condemn "stupid remarks against southern Europe, starting with Italy and Spain".

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Major Dutch Bank suspected of Corruption and Money laundering

The major Dutch ING Bank is suspected of facilitating international corruption and money laundering. The bank writes in its annual report that the Prosecution in both The Netherlands and the U.S has started a criminal investigation. The bank indicates that if there will be fines they might be substantial. According to the prosecution one of the cases investigated concerns bribes of the telecom company VimpelCom to a functionary of the Uzbek government.

Monday, March 20, 2017

European Commission Fines Air France KLM 310 Million Euros

The European Commission has fined Air France KLM 310 million Euros for price fixing and collusion in the air cargo market.  In total 11 airlines were fined with an amount of nearly 800 million Euro.  The airlines had been charged with making secret agreements between 1999 and 2006.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Two Turkish Diplomats Arrested in Rotterdam

Various Dutch and Turkish government sources claim that two Turkish diplomats were arrested in Rotterdam and kept two hours in police cells. Other Dutch sources deny this. Geert Jan Knoops, professor of international law, recommends that the Netherlands apologizes to Turkey, as otherwise Trukey might win an international court case against the Netherlands.

http://nos.nl/artikel/2163752-aanhouding-turkse-diplomaten-was-mogelijk-fout.html

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Threats force Municipal Councilor to take Leave of Absence

Dutch-Turkish Christian Democrat municipal councilor in Rotterdam Turan Yazir is taking a leave of absence from his faction due to threats. Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah has published Yazir's full name and a photo and called him partly responsible for the political fallout between the Netherlands and Turkey. His faction declared that the tensions in the Turkish community in Rotterdam have such an impact that it is impossible for Yazir to duly exercise his duties as councilor. The Turkish newspaper calls Yazir a politician that works with "fascists in the Netherlands, like Geert Wilders".

http://nltimes.nl/2017/03/16/threats-dutch-turkish-rotterdam-politician-prompts-leave-absence

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Dutch Consulate in Istanbul Cancels Evening After Elections

A group of Dutch inhabitants of Istanbul were supposed to meet at the Dutch consulate to view the results of the elections.  The Consul General advised those who were expected to come to instead watch the results individually at home. One of the employees said that there are difficulties with the security even though the number of Turkish demonstrators at the Consulate has decreased significantly.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Erdogan accuses Dutch of Carrying out Massacre in Srebrenica

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the Netherlands of massacring of 8000 Bosninas in Srebrenica. He said so in a speech televised live. In fact it were however Bosnian Serbs who carried out the mass murder. The Dutch peace keepers failed to protect the Bosnian Muslims and fled Srebrenica. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that Erdogan’s remarks were a “repugnant historical falsehood.”

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/14/turkish-sanctions-bizarre-as-netherlands-has-more-to-be-angry-about-dutch-pm

Monday, March 13, 2017

Dutch Government warns travelers to Turkey

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated its travel advice for Turkey. The Dutch does warn Dutch travelers to watch out for gatherings and avoid public places. These warnings are on top of the existing advice of risks in Turkey due to terrorist attacks and political tensions.


Sunday, March 12, 2017

Riots Follow Dutch expulsion of Turkish Minister

Turkey’s family minister, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, was prevented from reaching the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam and was taken to the German border by police and expelled from the Netherlands.  She was trying to win support among expatriates for a referendum on expanding Turkish presidential powers. The Dutch government forbade such rallies as they would stoke tensions before the Dutch general parliamentary elections on Wednesday. Afterwards, Dutch-Turkish demonstrators started riots. The police used officers on horseback and water cannons to disperse about 1,000 people from outside the Turkish consulate. There were some wounded and several arrests were made.


Saturday, March 11, 2017

Erdogan: Dutch are Nazi Remnants and Fascists

The Netherlands has refused to give permission to the plane of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosuglu to land. He intended to speak in Rotterdam today in support of a referendum which will give President Erdogan more powers. The rally was cancelled by the Dutch authorities for security reasons. Cavosuglu had warned that Turkey would impose heavy sanctions if his visit were blocked. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan has now described the Dutch as “Nazi remnants and fascists.”


Thursday, March 9, 2017

Rutte: Turkish Ministers Speaking About National Issues Not Wanted


Turkish affairs foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, intends to press ahead with a visit to the Netherlands.  He is campaigning in favor of a referendum to give Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, greater power. The minister has said that he may, however, delay his visit until after the Dutch parliamentary election on March 15.  Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb has said that he believes public order could be at risk if there is a meeting in Rotterdam. Prime Minister Rutte said, “It is not that we want to stop Turkish politicians in general, but Turkish ministers who want to speak about purely national issues are not wanted.”

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Prime Minister Rutte booed at Talk Show

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte could hardly speak at the talk show of Pauw and Jinek. Residents of the Groningen province shouted and booed him. One of his opponents said that 76 000 damage reports have been made during his prime ministership concerning gas exploiation in the province.


Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Turkish Minister: Netherlands Taken Hostage by Wilders

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said that with the resistance against campaign meetings by Turkish politicians in the Netherlands, the country has been taken hostage by Geert Wilders. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the meantime, has put in an official request to be able to run its election campaign in the Netherlands among Turks living there. The Dutch government has immediately rejected this.


Monday, March 6, 2017

Extremist Imam supports Denk Party

The extreme Salafist Imam Fawaz Jneid has advised his supporters to vote in the Dutch elections for the Denk party led by the Turkish born Tunahan Kuzu. He did so in a videomessage in Arabic. In the past he has wished death and terrible sicknesses on Ayaan Hirisi Ali and Theo van Gogh, who has murdered in 2004.

http://nieuws.tpo.nl/2017/03/03/salafistische-haatimam-fawaz-jneid-geeft-stemadvies-aan-achterban-kies-denk/

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Deputy Prime Minister Asscher:Taking Risks to Get Into Trouble with Turkey Is Worth It


Deputy Prime Minister, Lodewijk Asscher, has said that the Dutch government is looking into the possibilities to prohibit Turkish cabinet ministers from coming to the Netherlands. They want to promote voting for a referendum in Turkey among Dutchmen of Turkish origin.  He added that it is worthwhile to run into a conflict with Turkey on this matter. PVV leader, Geert Wilders, called on the Dutch cabinet to declare all Turkish government members undesirable persons for the near future and thus not to grant them visas.


Friday, March 3, 2017

Murderer of Theo van Gogh destroys Kitchen of High Security Prison

Mohammed B., the radical Muslim who murdered media person  Theo van Gogh in 2004, serves a life sentence in the high security prison in Vught. He has entirely destroyed a kitchen there. He did so after a request of his to speak to the prison manager was refused.
www.ad.nl/binnenland/mohammed-b-slaat-keuken-aan-gort-in-zwaarbeveiligde-gevangenis~a17d861f/

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Special Military Police Unit Takes Over Guarding Wilders

After problems with his regular security team, Geert Wilders is now protected by the Special Security Assignments Brigade. This military police unit is normally in charge of securing Dutch Embassies in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as protecting Dutch officials and politicians when they travel abroad. Wilders cancelled all public appearances after a police officer on his regular protection team had been accused of leaking police information to a Moroccan criminal gang.


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Hamas Affiliated Group Organizes Conference in Rotterdam


The 15th Palestinians in Europe Conference sponsored by an affiliate of the Hamas terrorist organization will take place in Rotterdam on April 15.  A motion by the Leefbaar Rotterdam Party to forbid the conference was defeated.  Organizations representing the Dutch Jewish community have expressed their fear about the content of the conference, as well as its impact.