Foreign affairs minister Uri Rosenthal has formally distanced himself from comments by PVV MP Raymond de Roon, who described the Turkish prime minister as an ‘Islamic monkey’.

The remark was made in the context of the Dutch saying daar komt de aap uit de mouw (here comes the monkey out of the sleeve) which means to reveal your true colours or intentions.
‘Once again the Islamic monkey has shown himself,’ De Roon said during parliamentary questions. ‘This time he is in Ankara and his name is Erdogan.’ De Roon was refering to what he called Turkey’s anti-Israel rhetoric.
Alexander Pechtold, leader of the Liberal democrats D66, challenged Rosenthal to refute the statement. Rosenthal said De Roon had used a ‘misplaced metaphor’. MPs from the ruling VVD and CDA also condemned the statement.