A prominent Dutch journalist has been detained by Turkish police, a Dutch official said on Sunday, a week after she wrote a column published in the Netherlands in which she criticized President Tayyip Erdogan for his clampdown on dissent.
Erdogan is known for his intolerance of criticism and his readiness to take legal action over perceived slurs. At his behest, prosecutors in Germany are pursuing a comedian for mocking him. Critics say Erdogan is using the law to stifle dissent.
Last week, Ebru Umar, who is of Turkish descent, wrote an article in the free newspaper Metro criticizing a Turkish consular official in the Netherlands for asking all Turks to report incidents of insults against Erdogan in the country. The call was widely criticized, including by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and was later withdrawn.
Umar called Erdogan a "dictator" in the article.
Turkish prosecutors have opened more than 1,800 cases against people for insulting him — including journalists, cartoonists, academics and even school children. Erdogan has said he is open to criticism, but draws the line at insults.
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