Fillon Accuses Hollande of Breaking Solidarity by Allowing Turkish Rally

French presidential hopeful Francois Fillon accused President Francois Hollande on Sunday of violating the European solidarity by allowing Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to hold a campaign meeting with Turkish expats in the northeastern city of Metz.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Saturday, the Dutch authorities barred the Turkish foreign minister from landing, ahead of his planned Turkish expat rally at the embassy prior to the referendum on the constitutional changes. On the same day, the Turkish family and social affairs minister was denied entry to the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam and then deported to Germany.

"Francois Hollande has blatantly broken the European solidarity when a common position should clearly have prevailed to manage Turkish demands. The French government should have prevented the meeting from taking place," Fillon said in a statement.

He stressed that Turkey had "no place in the European Union."

Ankara has been seeking support from Turkish expats for a constitutional change that would increase the president's powers. The Turkish referendum on the constitutional amendment is scheduled for April 16.