Turkish president Erdogan likens Netherlands to ‘Banana Republic’ as diplomatic row escalates

On Saturday night and during the early hours of Sunday morning the Rotterdam police clashed with protesters at the Turkish consulate in the city.

In response, Turkey on Monday summoned the Dutch charge d’affaires for the third day in a row, foreign ministry sources said, as the diplomatic feud between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies deepened.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country Erdogan compared last week with Nazi Germany, has said she will do everything possible to prevent any spillover of Turkish political tensions onto German soil.

In response to the decision to cancel the rally in Rotterdam, President Erdoğan called the Dutch “Nazi remnants and fascists”.

“There will be a stronger reprisal against the unacceptable treatment toward Turkey and ministers who have diplomatic immunity”, Mr Yildirim said.

“We protested that situation heavily and we told our Dutch counterparts that we will respond in the heaviest way”, he said in a statement.

Erdoğan is campaigning for expatriate voters’ support of an April referendum that would change Turkey’s government from a parliamentary republic to a presidential one and expand his powers over the budget and appointments of key officials.

And Swiss police on Friday blocked a rally supporting a “yes” vote in the referendum, amid uncertainty over whether the Turkish foreign minister would be allowed to host a similar event planned for Zurich this weekend.

More than a dozen HDP parliamentary deputies have been detained by authorities over the past several months on charges of supporting terrorism. Minister Fatima Betul Sayan Kaya tweeted: “Netherlands is violating all global laws, conventions and human rights”. “If Europe keeps this up, they will lose many places, including Russian Federation and us”.

Faced with an upsurge in support for the ultra-right, European governments have come under pressure to take a hard line on Erdogan who is accused by critics of authoritarianism.

“The Turkish authorities have publicly threatened sanctions”.

The remarks followed actions by the Netherlands after it canceled Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s flight permit after the diplomat pushed ahead with plans to address Turks in Rotterdam.

“If my going will increase tensions, let it be”.

Addressing an inauguration ceremony in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “How will your country’s [diplomatic] flights come here now after not granting permission to our foreign minister?”

The party’s press office said Devlet Bahceli, the party’s chairman, discussed the latest move with Head of European Turkish Confederation Cemal Cetin.

The Dutch vote on Wednesday in national elections, the campaigning for which has featured anti-immigration sentiment, and there are concerns Cavusoglu’s presence could disrupt public order.

It also said it reserved the right to compensation while calling for an investigation into the “violations” and for the prosecution of those responsible for such “infringements”.