Dutch MP slammed for meetings in north Cyprus

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides has slammed a Dutch MP for visiting the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state and holding meetings with its authorities.

“Informally speaking, you are a disgrace for the institution you represent, its formal policy, and the European values. You stand for ethnic cleansing and occupation,” Petrides said in a tweet.

Informally speaking, you are a disgrace for the institution you represent, it’s formal policy, and the European values. You stand for ethnic cleansing and occupation https://t.co/kM4BugIuWj

— ConstantinosPetrides (@Petrides_C) August 17, 2021

The minister joined a chorus of mostly Greek Cypriots who censured independent MP Liane den Haan after she posted a photo on twitter on August 12 of her visiting the north’s ‘tourism minister.’

“Today I had an informal meeting with the minister of Tourism of North Cyprus. An interesting meeting, we talked about the tourism on North Cyprus and how hard it is during the Covid pandemic. #KKTC #kibris” the tweet said.

To a compatriot who pointed out that she was a Dutch MP talking to a minister of a territory occupied and recognised only by Turkey, den Haan An said it was an informal conversation that was not held in her capacity as MP.

Liane den Haan’s tweet

Today I had an informal meeting with the minister of Tourism of North Cyprus. An interesting meeting, we talked about the tourism on North Cyprus and how hard it is during the Covid pandemic. #KKTC #kibris pic.twitter.com/jCtbAeGBFm

— Liane den Haan (@LianedenHaan) August 12, 2021