Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described the Dutch as "Nazi remnants and fascists" in an escalating row over demonstrations.

It was the second time the far-right leader made the slur in the space of a week, first directed at Germany, after the Dutch government withdrew landing permission for Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Çavuşoğlu was due to speak at a rally in Rotterdam on Saturday (11 March), but Germany and the Netherlands have resisted pro-Erdoğan demonstrations in their countries, claiming they are a security threat.

The rallies are in support of a 16 April referendum on constitutional reforms, which if decided in Erdoğan's way, would give him greater powers following last year's failed coup attempt.

In a statement, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he tried to solve the row with Turkey diplomatically, but Erdoğan has taken the more vocal approach.

"They do not know politics or international diplomacy... these Nazi remnants, they are fascists," he said at a rally in Istanbul, reported the Guardian, as the crowd booed in response.

"Ban our foreign minister from flying however much you like, but from now on, let's see how your flights will land in Turkey," he added.

When Erdoğan first made his Nazi remarks, Germany hit out angrily and said that there are "lines that must not be crossed".

However, in repeating the rhetoric, he has demonstrated he is willing to risk international relationships in order to garner support at home in order to pass the constitutional measures.

In his statement, Rutte tried to clarify that his opposition to the rallies was not out of a repulsion to democracy – as claimed by Erdoğan – but because they did not comply with local regulations.

"Many Dutch people with a Turkish background are authorised to vote in the referendum over the Turkish constitution. The Dutch government does not have any protest against gatherings in our country to inform them about it," he said.

"But these gatherings may not contribute to tensions in our society and everyone who wants to hold a gathering is obliged to follow instructions of those in authority so that public order and safety can be guaranteed."</s>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the Dutch as "Nazi remnants and fascists", as a row grows over a cancelled Rotterdam rally.

He was originally scheduled to speak at Saturday's rally in support of a Yes vote in a referendum which would give Mr Erdogan greatly increased powers.

The rally was banned for security reasons, Rotterdam's mayor said.

Turkey has now summoned the Dutch charge d'affaires to the foreign ministry in Ankara for an explanation.

"Ban our foreign minister from flying however much you like, but from now on, let's see how your flights will land in Turkey," President Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul.

Mr Cavusoglu also warned Turkey would impose heavy sanctions if his visit were blocked.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a statement (in Dutch) that the Turkish threat of sanctions made "the search for a reasonable solution impossible".

Therefore the Netherlands was withdrawing landing rights, he said.

The diplomatic row comes just days before Dutch voters go to the polls.

The election campaign has been dominated by issues of identity, the BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague says.

The anti-Islam leader of the Freedom Party Geert Wilders - who campaigned against the Turkish minister's visit - is expected to make significant gains, our correspondent adds.

Austria, Germany and Switzerland have banned similar gatherings where Turkish officials were due to speak.

Earlier this week, the cancellations in Germany led Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to accuse Berlin of "Nazi practices".

That comment drew a sharp response from German leaders, with Chancellor Angela Merkel describing the comparison as "unacceptable".

Mr Erdogan is seeking to extend his powers in the 16 April vote.

He is targeting millions of expatriate voters eligible to cast a ballot in the referendum - including 1.4 million in Germany.
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Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said earlier this week that the owner of the hall scheduled to hold Mr Cavusoglu's event in the city on Saturday had withdrawn authorisation, but the foreign minister could still visit.

"He has diplomatic immunity and everything so we will treat him with respect, but we have other instruments to prohibit things happening in public spaces," Mr Aboutaleb said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

There was also uncertainty about whether an event he was due to attend in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday would go ahead after one venue refused to hold it.

Another event in Zurich scheduled for Friday and featuring a senior official was cancelled, as were rallies in the Austrian towns of Hoerbranz, Linz and Herzogenburg.

The Dutch and Austrian governments have also criticised the Turkish government's drive to take its referendum campaign to Turks based in EU countries.

Relations between Turkey and European countries have deteriorated since last July's attempted coup in Turkey. Germany has been critical of the mass arrests and purges that followed - with nearly 100,000 civil servants removed from their posts.

Many European nations have expressed deep disquiet about Turkey's response to the coup attempt and its perceived slide towards authoritarianism under President Erdogan.

Turkey is a key partner in an arrangement attempting to limit the movement of migrants into the EU, but has threatened to "open the gates" if the EU reneges on commitments to provide aid, visa-free travel for its nationals and accelerated membership talks.</s>At a rally in Istanbul on Saturday, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at the Netherlands, after Dutch officials banned a rally in Rotterdam in his support and revoked permission for Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to address expatriate voters there.

“They don’t know anything about politics or international diplomacy,” said Erdoğan, according the translation of a Reuters video. “They are very nervous and cowardly. They are Nazi remnants. They are fascists.” (It’s unclear from the video whether Erdoğan is referring to the Dutch people as a whole, or the officials responsible for cancelling his rally.)</s>The President of Turkey has called the Dutch "Nazi remnants, fascists" in a stunning outburst with the countries locked in diplomatic row.

President Tayyip Erdogan made the comments this morning, after the Dutch government withdrew permission for his Foreign Minister's plane to land there.

On Friday, Rotterdam city authorities withdrew permission for Mevlut Cavusoglu to attend a rally in support for President Erdogan's plans for extended powers, which is to be put to a referendum next month.

The Dutch say Cavusoglu's visit would be a threat to public order. Several other Euroepan cities have banned such meetings to be attended by Turkish officials.

Cavusoglu's had also made a threat hours earlier of political and economic sanctions against the Nethderlands by Turkey if travel permission was withdrawn.

The Dutch are due to vote in a national election on Wednesday, in which anti-immigration sentiment has played a prominent role.</s>Turkey and the Netherlands sharply escalated a dispute between the NATO allies on Saturday, eventually leading Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call them fascists and “Nazi remnants.”</s>METZ, France, March 12 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday the Netherlands was the "capital of fascism" during a speech in France, as a dispute over Ankara's political campaigning among Turkish immigrants in Europe continues to simmer.

"The Netherlands, the so-called capital of democracy, and I say this in quotation marks because they are actually the capital of fascism...," Cavusoglu said during his visit to the northeastern French city of Metz. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Mark Potter)</s>The Turkish president has branded the Netherlands “Nazi remnants” and “fascists” after one of his ministers was barred from entering the country in an escalating row over a cancelled rally in Rotterdam.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan made his comments on Saturday after the Dutch government withdrew permission for his foreign minister to land there for a planned visit.

Rotterdam city authorities withdrew permission on Friday for Mevlut Cavusoglu to attend a meeting of the Turkish community to rally support for Erdogan’s plans to extend his powers. The plans are to be voted on in a referendum in Turkey next month.

Several other European cities have banned Turkish officials from attending such meetings aimed at expats who are allowed to vote in the referendum.

The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, announced in a statement on Facebook that the plane carrying Mr Cavusoglu had been barred from landing.

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

Speaking at a rally in Istanbul, Mr Erdogan said of the Dutch government: “They do not know politics or international diplomacy … these Nazi remnants, they are fascists,” as the crowd booed in response.

Mr Rutte said Turkey’s call for a large rally in Rotterdam had derailed discussions about whether Mr Cavusoglu could enter the country. A threat of sanctions from Turkey if Mr Cavusoglu were denied entry “made a reasonable solution impossible”, he said.

Mr Cavusoglu said on Saturday he would fly to the Netherlands despite the rally being cancelled. He said he was expected to appear at the Turkish consulate, as he had done when authorities in Hamburg banned him from speaking at a rally in the German city last week.

“If my going will increase tensions, let it be,” he told CNN Turk. “What damage will my going have on them? I am a foreign minister and I can go wherever I want.”

Mr Rutte said that while the Netherlands and Turkey could try to find “an acceptable solution”, Turkey was not respecting the rules relating to public gatherings.

“Many Dutch people with a Turkish background are authorised to vote in the referendum over the Turkish constitution. The Dutch government does not have any protest against gatherings in our country to inform them about it,” he said.

“But these gatherings may not contribute to tensions in our society and everyone who wants to hold a gathering is obliged to follow instructions of those in authority so that public order and safety can be guaranteed.”

Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, criticised the Dutch decision.

“This is not correct,” he said. “Those who defend democracy would not do such things. You’ll call yourself a democrat and then not permit the flight of a minister of the Turkish republic?”</s>The Netherlands on Saturday denied landing permission to a plane carrying Turkey's foreign minister as part of a dispute over a canceled political rally. In response, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the Dutch are "Nazi remnants" and "fascists" who "do not know politics or international diplomacy." "You can stop our foreign minister's plane all you want," he said, "let's see how your planes will come to Turkey from now on."

"It is a crazy remark, of course," replied Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "I understand they are angry but this is of course way out of line."

The quarrel began when the Netherlands canceled a rally to whip the votes of Turkish expatriates in advance of a Turkish referendum on constitutional reform. The Dutch government cited security reasons for the cancelation, but also opposes the constitutional changes. Erdogan previously leveled the Nazi charge at Germany over a similar dispute. Bonnie Kristian</s>The Turkish president has labelled the Dutch 'Nazi remnants and fascists' after they refused to let a plane carrying the country's foreign minister land.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks were made at a rally in Istanbul, as he currently hopes to secure a 'Yes' vote in a referendum over whether he be granted increased powers.

He is targeting expat voters in European countries with high Turkish populations, such as the Netherlands and Germany.

But foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu - who had been flying to Rotterdam on behalf of Mr Erdogan ahead of the April 16 vote - was not permitted to land because Dutch authorities had deemed the rally unsafe.

Mr Erdogan told the crowd back in Turkey: 'You can stop our foreign minister's plane all you want, let's see how your planes will come to Turkey from now on,' Mr Erdogan told booing crowds.

'They do not know politics or international diplomacy…these Nazi remnants, they are fascists.'

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said that while the Netherlands and Turkey could search for 'an acceptable solution', Turkey was not respecting the rules relating to public gatherings.

A spokesman for the Dutch government added:'Many Dutch people with a Turkish background are authorised to vote in the referendum over the Turkish constitution,' it said.

'The Dutch government does not have any opposition to gatherings in our country to inform them about it.

'But these gatherings are not allowed to contribute to tensions in our society and everyone who wants to hold a gathering is obliged to follow instructions of those in authority, so that public order and safety can be guaranteed.'

But it said Cavusoglu's threat hours earlier of political and economic sanctions if travel permission were withdrawn made the search for a reasonable solution impossible.

Mr Cavusoglu had previously said that the Netherlands was treating Turkish citizens like hostages in hindering their contact with Ankara.

The vote a potentially divisive issue in Turkey, and Rotterdam authorities said on Friday they was banning the rally.

Cavusoglu said on Saturday he would fly anyway, and had been expected to appear at the Turkish consulate, as he had done when city authorities in Hamburg banned him from speaking last week.

'If my going will increase tensions, let it be,' he told CNN Turk. 'What damage will my going have on them? I am a foreign minister and I can go wherever I want.'</s>Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has branded the Dutch "Nazi remnants" and "fascists" after permission for his Foreign Minister's plane to land in the Netherlands was withdrawn.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was originally scheduled to attend a Turkish rally there to drum up support for the president's plans for extended powers, which are due to be put to a referendum next month.

But the rally was banned by Rotterdam city authorities.

"You can stop our foreign minister's plane all you want, let's see how your planes will come to Turkey from now on," Mr Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul.

Mr Cavusoglu had said he would fly to Rotterdam anyway but was denied a flight permit, CNN Turk reported.

He had warned that Turkey would impose heavy sanctions if his visit were blocked.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says the Netherlands are "Nazi remnants and fascists", after the plane was turned back.