As tensions between Turkey and the Netherlands have increased in recent months, the latter has begun to cut social benefits for "gastarbeiters" or "guest workers" who "own land in Turey," causing Turkish "guest workers" in the Netherlands to react to the move saying, "This is the Netherlands."

The Dutch government, having gained widespread attention for its hostile attitude toward Turkey, is now at the center of new criticism after it began cutting off social benefits for Turkish citizens enrolled in the Guest Worker Program, further muddying the waters of a political quagmire. Turkish guest workers have responded to the move, calling it "illegal" and saying: "They [the Dutch] are unfairly cutting our social benefits." The Dutch government began cutting unemployment benefits for Turkish citizens living in the Netherlands who own land or property in Turkey, after launching an investigation into the scope of assets owned by Turkish guest workers in their native country.

'Illegal practices'

Ziya Develi, a consultant for the Dutch Denk Party, said that the Dutch Consulate General has extorted the personal identity information of Turkish guest workers and conducted illegal searches of Turkey's Land Registry using this data. Develi said, "If the Turks own property or land, the Dutch government will cut support by up to 900 euros and get the money back retrospectively with interest. This practice is unfair and illegal and could also mobilize other EU member states like Belgium and Germany," Develi noted.

Head of the Turkish Lawyers' Association in the Netherlands and immigrant rights' advocate Ejder Köse said that the proceedings are illegal, asserting that Dutch public institutions do not have the legal right to conduct such an investigation. "The Dutch authorities do not have the right to ask for personal identification numbers nor do our citizens have any obligation to provide them."

Violation of privacy rights

Pointing out that the Dutch Social Security Agency has defined Turkish nationals as members of a "high-risk group," Köse said that civil servants and law offices assigned by the Dutch labor attache in Turkey are even conducting investigations into the bank accounts of Turkish guest workers. "Such investigations are a violation of privacy and a form of ethnicity-based discrimination that violate international agreements," he asserted.

Attorney Ali Durmuş said that major metropolitan municipalities of major cities such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam are investigating persons of various ethnic origin and age groups, even targeting people over 50 years of age. Durmuş said that if it is determined that a peron has resided outside of the Netherlands for more than 28 days, a criminal complaint will be filed wth that person's country of nationality and their assets will be placed under investigation, adding that Turkish authorities have hte right to deny the request as it is in violation of international agreements.

Köse said that there has recently been a significant increase in the number of complaints filed, stressing that Turkish authorities should not readily disclose the personal information of its citizens.