Turkey and the Netherlands were trying to resolve their diplomatic row that saw Ankara describe Dutch policies as “Nazi remnants.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks to that end with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok in Ankara on Wednesday.
Blok said at a joint news conference with Cavusoglu: "Today is a positive day in relations."
Cavusoglu insisted that Turkey never accused the Dutch people of being "Nazis."
He added: "As we agreed, we left those days behind."
Turkey and the Netherlands reinstated ambassadors last month following a dispute triggered by a Dutch decision to bar Turkish officials from campaigning on Dutch soil for a 2017 referendum on increasing the powers of the president.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the term "Nazi remnants" to criticize the Netherlands.
Blok added that he discussed with Cavusoglu the rule of law, human rights and counter-terrorism, adding that Turkey needs to take steps to make progress in its EU accession negotiations.
“The negotiations have come to a standstill. There are a lot of criteria to be met, especially regarding the rule of law and human rights,” Blok said. “Criteria are there to be met. Steps have to be taken to make progress possible.”
Last week Erdogan said during a visit to Germany that Turkey would rapidly meet the criteria to achieve visa liberalization with the European Union, a move long sought by Ankara.
Relations between Turkey and the EU worsened following a 2016 failed military coup, after which Ankara accused Europe of not supporting it sufficiently and of harboring individuals allegedly involved in the abortive putsch.
Rights groups and European countries have voiced concern that mass arrests as part of a post-coup crackdown worsened Turkey’s record on human rights and press freedom under Erdogan.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
