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Turkish foreign minister expected in France as Dutch rally row rages

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Turkish foreign minister expected in France as Dutch rally row rages
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Photo: Steffi Loos/AFP

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected in France on Sunday, French authorities said, as tensions rise over rallies abroad to help Ankara gain backing for a key vote.

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His visit to the eastern French city of Metz was "confirmed", a local official told AFP on Saturday. Alain Carton said the meeting was due to be held in an auditorium and had been organised by a local Turkish association.

Cavusoglu was expected in the afternoon, he said, adding that the visit had been cleared by the French foreign ministry.

"The prefecture has been charged with ensuring security... (and to ensure) there is no disruption to public order," he said.

Cavusoglu was to travel to the Netherlands on Saturday for a rally to gather support for a referendum on boosting the powers of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but officials there barred his plane from landing, sparking a furious reaction from Ankara.

Germany and the Netherlands have both banned rallies seeking support from Turkish expatriates for the April 16 referendum seeking to extend Erdogan's powers.

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