14 September 2011
Raymond de Roon, an MP for the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), referred to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan as an ‘Islamic monkey’ during parliamentary question period. The remark was made in reference to Turkey’s anti-Israel rhetoric and in the context of the Dutch saying ‘here comes the monkey out of the sleeve’. MPs from the ruling parties condemned the statement and Foreign Affairs Minister Uri Rosenthal has publicly distanced himself from the comment.
