Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel warned that the government will not tolerate violence as Turks living abroad vote on a referendum that would give Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more power.
Belgian media reported that as voters lined up at the Turkish embassy in Brussels on Thursday, fighting broke out amid Erdogan's supporters and opponents.
Michel condemned the fighting in a Twitter message and said he will "apply zero tolerance for violence surrounding the Turkish referendum."
Turkish citizens in six European countries have until April 9 to vote in the referendum. The deadline in Turkey is a week later.
Relations between European Union nations and Turkey have progressively worsened as the referendum nears, with Erdogan accusing nations like the Netherlands and Germany of Nazi practices to contain or ban demonstrations.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
