“The statement is unacceptable and I fully understand that the reaction in Israel has been one of dismay,” Frans Timmermans said Friday in a formal answer to written questions by Dutch members of parliament.
“These kind of statements are damaging to a constructive climate for peace in the region and are hindering normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel,” Timmermans said. ”The Netherlands remains a proponent of better relations between Turkey and Israel and will continue to strive for this.”
Timmermans, who become the Netherlands’ foreign minister less than half a year ago, said that his government’s position “has been made clear to Turkey” on both “a political and civil servants’ level.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also censured his Turkish counterpart for “a dark and mendacious statement, the likes of which we thought had passed from the world.”
Prime Minister Erdogan is expected to visit the Netherlands on Thursday.
Read more: Dutch FM slams Erdogan over anti-Zionist comment | The Times of Israel
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