Turkish vote row with Netherlands heats up

A DISPUTE between Nato allies Turkey and the Netherlands sharply escalated yesterday after the Dutch withdrew landing permission for a Turkish minister’s plane, leading Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call them “fascists”.

The Netherlands withdrew the landing permission for Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu because of objections to his intention to campaign for a Turkish referendum on constitutional reform, which the Dutch see as a step backwards from democracy.

Mr Cavusoglu later said he would travel to Rotterdam, but by land. He said he would arrive some time today.

Yesterday, Mr Erdogan told a rally in Istanbul: “You can stop our foreign minister’s plane all you want; let’s see how your planes will come to Turkey from now on.

“They do not know politics or international diplomacy. These Nazi remnants, they are fascists,” he added, as the crowd booed.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said: “It is a crazy remark, of course. I understand they’re angry but this was, of course, way out of line.”

Turkey also summoned the Dutch charges d’affaires in protest. Earlier yesterday, in an interview with private broadcaster CNN Turk, Mr Cavusoglu said: “If the Netherlands cancels my flight permit, our sanctions to the Netherlands would be heavy.”

The Turkish minister said that German and Dutch bans on campaigns for a “yes” vote in the April 16 referendum on constitutional changes means that Europe is “taking a side for a ‘no’ vote”.