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| Turkey referendum: Dutch are 'Nazi remnants' - Erdogan | Turkey referendum: Dutch are 'Nazi remnants' - Erdogan |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the Dutch as "Nazi remnants and fascists", as a row grows over a cancelled Rotterdam rally. | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the Dutch as "Nazi remnants and fascists", as a row grows over a cancelled Rotterdam rally. |
| Earlier, the Dutch government withdrew landing permission for a plane carrying Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu. | |
| 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. | |
| "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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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said earlier this week that the owner of the hall scheduled to hold Mr Cavusoglu's event in the city on Saturday had withdrawn authorisation, but the foreign minister could still visit.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. |