Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council unanimously has canceled its sister city protocol with the Netherlands' Rotterdam.

The decision was taken Wednesday, after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister previously discussed the cancellation of the protocol between the two cities.

Tension between Turkey and Netherlands rose after the Dutch government canceled the Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu's flight permit and blocked Family Minister' Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya's convoy from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam on Saturday.

The ministers were due to meet Turkish society ahead of the April 16 referendum concerning a constitutional amendment.

Several Turkish citizens were also wounded during protests in Rotterdam due to the Dutch police using disproportionate force to peaceful protesters.

Turkey is avoiding all-out sanctions or a general boycott targeting the Netherlands after last week's row over the incidents, but sporadic reactions, such as a ban on the Dutch ambassador, will likely stay in place as the Netherlands has remained largely unapologetic over the incidents.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) also announced Wednesday that its lawmakers would resign from an inter-parliamentary friendship group between Turkey and the Netherlands "unless the Netherlands apologizes.