Gul travels to teh Netherlands

Speaking to reporters before his departure to the Netherlands yesterday, President Abdullah Gul commented on a social media campaign by far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders opposing his visit to the Netherlands. "The Dutch probably feel ashamed, but they should not do so. This type of person exists in every country. In countries of pluralism, there may be politicians having very different, extreme ideas," Gul said. Wilders of the Freedom Party (PVV) has started an online campaign, saying that Gul was not welcome in the Netherlands before the Turkish president departed for the country. The campaign came after Gul's interview with Dutch daily De Telegraaf, in which he referred to the rise of extremism in Europe, warned against the rise of Islamophobia in Europe and called for more tolerance. Gul is currently in the Netherlands on a three-day trip to mark 400 years of relations between Turkey and the Netherlands at the invitation of the Dutch government.