Turkish officials slam far-right Wilders' calls to 'stop Ramadan'

Turkish officials late Tuesday slammed far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders for an offensive message he posted on Twitter against Muslims.

Wilders, known for his anti-Muslim stance, posted a video saying “stop Islam, stop Ramadan.”

“Islam does not belong in the Netherlands,” Wilders said.

Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun in a series of Twitter messages called Wilders a "racist, fascist and extremist" and urged the international community to stop racism.

Stating that Wilders "represents the textbook definition of extremism, racism and violence, which Islam condemns," Altun added: "Who, other than a fascist, would dare to attack Islam – the religion of peace with 2 billion followers?"

Referring to Wilders as a fascist, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik also said in a Twitter post that Wilders actually attacks humanity when he attacks Ramadan.

"They are enemies of humanity with a racist and fascist mind. That is why enmity against humanity lurks where there is hostility to Islam," Çelik said on Twitter.

"Enemies of Islam also hate migrants, poor people, needy people and foreigners," he added, referring to the anti-migrant and racist rhetoric of far-right extremist parties and groups.

Ali Erbaş, the head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, condemned Wilders' remarks as "unacceptable."

"I invite the international community to a conscious struggle against the racist mentality that incites Islamophobia and targets social peace," Erbaş said.

Throughout his political career, Wilders has proven himself to be a racist through his numerous abhorrent anti-Islam comments.

In 2019, he canceled a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest that sparked protests in Pakistan. The outspoken anti-Islam party leader said he decided to “let the contest go” following death threats and concerns other people could be put at risk.

Wilders added that his fight against Islam would continue and no threat could stop him.

In the event, Wilders planned to display caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad at the tightly guarded offices of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch parliament building. He said he received “hundreds” of entries.

The Dutch politician was also fined 5,000 euros ($5,400) in 2016 for his hate speech and discrimination.

He also faced charges of discrimination and inciting racial hatred at a rally in 2014, where he led supporters in chanting that they wanted fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. In a televised incident on March 19, 2014, Wilders asked supporters whether they wanted more or fewer Moroccans, to which the crowd replied, “Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!” A smiling Wilders responded, “We’ll take care of that.”