Turkey must host Wilders

The foreign policy committee of the Dutch parliament has threatened to cancel its trip to Turkey, because the Turkish government has refused entry to the right-wing populist Geert Wilders, chairman of the Dutch Party for Freedom. In view of Turkey's controversial bid for EU accession it would be unwise to give Wilders the cold shoulder, writes the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: "The leader of the Party for Freedom likes to be provocative, and has repeatedly made disparaging remarks about what he calls the 'backward' Muslim culture. That does little to promote constructive dialogue, and of course is maddening, but it is no reason to refuse him entry. The same goes for his criticism of democracy in Turkey. ... If they turn Wilders away, the Turkish authorities will only be confirming the prejudice that they are not open to dialogue."

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