Dutch arrest 23 in Kurd protest against Turkey operation

Dutch police said Thursday they had arrested 23 people in clashes between Turks and Kurds in the port city of Rotterdam during a demonstration against Ankara’s offensive in Syria.

Trouble erupted on Wednesday night shortly after the beginning of a protest organised by the Kurdish community, which was swiftly followed by a counter-demonstration by Turks.

The arrested, some of whom were armed with screwdrivers, “are suspected of open violence, aggression, destruction and insults”, Rotterdam police said in a statement.

Three police officers were slightly wounded in the clashes, which broke out in the city centre, police said. One of the officers suffered a broken wrist, Dutch media reported.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte strongly condemned the violence during a debate on the Turkish offensive in parliament late Wednesday.

“You can demonstrate in this country, but we do it in a civilised manner,” Rutte said. “Social conflict should be resolved by dialogue, and not by the images we have seen in Rotterdam. It’s absolutely unacceptable.”

Turkey launched an offensive last week in northeast Syria against a Kurdish militia which is backed by western countries in the fight against the Islamic State group, but which Ankara accuses of terrorism.

The Netherlands was one of the first European countries to announce a halt in new arms exports to Turkey as a result.

Turkey and the Netherlands halted diplomatic relations for months after riots erupted when two Turkish ministers were barred from an election rally in Rotterdam in 2017.