Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the Dutch as “Nazi remnants and fascists,” as a diplomatic row grows over a cancelled rally. The Turkish Foreign Minister was due to speak in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Saturday in support of a referendum to give Mr. Erdogan greater powers, the BBC reports. But the rally was banned for security reasons, and the minister’s plane was then refused permission to land. Turkey has now summoned the Dutch charge d’affaires 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. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also warned Turkey would impose heavy sanctions if his visits 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.” The Netherlands was therefore withdrawing landing rights, he said. Mr. Rutte also stressed that Dutch officials had earlier discussed whether the planned rally with Mr. Cavusoglu could be private and “smaller-scale” and held in a Turkish consulate or embassy.

The Netherlands “regrets the course of events, and remains committed to dialogue with Turkey,” the statement added.

Source: The Nation