The
Netherlands barred Turkey's foreign minister from landing in Rotterdam on
Saturday in a row over Ankara's political campaigning among Turkish emigres,
and
President Tayyip Erdogan retaliated, branding his NATO partner a "Nazi
remnant".
The
extraordinary incident came hours after Mevlut Cavusoglu declared he would fly
to Rotterdam despite being banned from a rally there to marshal support for
sweeping new powers Erdogan seeks. Europe, he said, must be rid of its
"boss-like attitude".
Cavusoglu, who
was barred from a similar meeting in Hamburg last week but spoke instead from
the Turkish consulate, accused the Dutch of treating the many Turkish citizens
in the country like "hostages", cutting them off from Ankara.
"I sent
them so they could contribute to your economy," he told CNN Turk TV, days
ahead of Dutch polls where immigration may play a significant part.
"They're not your captives."
"If my
going will increase tensions, let it be...I am a foreign minister and I can go
wherever I want," he added hours before his planned flight to Rotterdam
was banned.
Cavusoglu
threatened harsh economic and political sanctions if the Dutch refused him
entry, a threat that proved decisive for the Netherlands government.
It cited
public order and security concerns in withdrawing landing rights for
Cavusoglu's flight. But it said the sanctions threat made the search for a
reasonable solution impossible.
Dutch
anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders, polling second ahead of elections on
Wednesday in the Netherlands, said in a tweet on Saturday: "To all Turks
in the Netherlands who agree with Erdogan: Go to Turkey and NEVER come
back!!"
Dutch Prime
Minister Mark Rutte said: "This morning on TV (the Turkish minister) made
clear he was threatening the Netherlands with sanctions and we can never
negotiate with the Turks under such threats. So we decided...in a conference
call it was better for him not to come.”
SPILLOVER FEAR
Four planned
Turkish rallies in Austria and one in Switzerland have also been canceled in
the dispute.
"Listen
Netherlands, you'll jump once, you'll jump twice, but my people will thwart
your game," Erdogan said at a rally. "You can cancel our foreign
minister's flight as much as you want, but let's see how your flights come to
Turkey now.
"They
don't know diplomacy or politics. They are Nazi remnants. They are
fascists."
Dutch Prime
Minister Rutte called his reference to Nazis and Fascists "a crazy remark
of course".
"I
understand they're angry but this is of course way out of line.”
Erdogan chafes
at Western criticism of his mass arrests and dismissals of people authorities
believe were linked to a failed July attempt by the military to topple him. He
maintains it is clear the West begrudges him new powers and seeks to engineer a
"no" vote in the referendum.
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.
Cavusoglu said
Turks in Germany were under systematic pressure from police and intelligence
services.
Erdogan is
looking to the large number of emigre Turks living in Europe, especially
Germany and the Netherlands, to help clinch victory in next month's referendum
which will shape the future of a country whose position on the edge of the
Middle East makes it of crucial strategic importance to NATO.
He has cited
domestic threats from Kurdish and Islamist militants and a July coup bid as
cause to vote "yes" to his new powers. But he has also drawn on the
emotionally charged row with Europe to portray Turkey as betrayed by allies
while facing wars on its southern borders. All, again, cause to back strong
leadership.
*REUTERS*
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