International

SP Euro-MP Anne-Marie Mineur is calling on European Commissioner Cecilia Malmström to put an immediate stop to negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Jasper van Dijk, an SP Member of the national Parliament in The Hague, is issuing the same appeal to Trade Minister Lilianne Ploumen. In an interview with German television, the country’s Minister for Economic Affairs Sigmar Gabriel acknowledged that since the start of the talks agreement has not been reached on a single chapter. According to Gabriel this is because the European Union will not accede to the Americans’ demands. The SP has opposed the trade treaty with the United States, as well as the CETA, the similar agreement with Canada, since the very start.

The SP wants the national parliament in The Hague to organise an official hearing with Turkish-Dutch organisations over how they can contribute to reducing tensions in the Dutch-Turkish population in the wake of the failed coup d’état in their country of origin. Social Affairs Minister Lodewijk Asscher has for some time been conducting an enquiry into the management and influence on integration of a number of organisations which have close links to the Turkish government. However, while tensions between certain groups of Turkish-Dutch people are on the rise, there can be no question of a change in integration policy. “In our view the government must end any association with organisations which are extensions of Turkish politics,” says Sadet Karabulut.’