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EU tells Turkey to avoid escalating diplomatic row over political rallies EU tells Erdoğan not to escalate diplomatic row over political rallies
(about 4 hours later)
A diplomatic crisis between Turkey and several EU member states has deepened as the bloc warned Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to avoid inflammatory language and Ankara said it could impose sanctions on the Netherlands. European leaders have told Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to avoid inflammatory language while Ankara threatened sanctions against the Netherlands as diplomatic relations between Turkey and several EU members soured dramatically.
In a fast-escalating row over Turkish ministers being blocked from holding rallies abroad before a referendum next month on plans to expand Erdoğan’s powers, the latest developments followed the Turkish president twice this weekend accusing the Dutch government of acting like Nazis. The Turkish president escalated a row over his ministers being barred from holding rallies abroad before a referendum on plans to expand his powers by twice accusing the Dutch government of acting “like Nazis” this weekend.
Apparently referring to Erdoğan’s comments, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, on Monday demanded Turkey “refrain from excessive statements and actions”. On Monday, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, responded by pledging her “full support and solidarity” to the Netherlands, calling Erdoğan’s Nazi jibes “completely unacceptable”.
It was “essential to avoid further escalation and find ways to calm down the situation,” the two said in a joint statement. Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, also urged all concerned to “show mutual respect and be calm”. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, also demanded Turkey “refrain from excessive statements and actions”.
Ankara’s minister for EU affairs, Ömer Çelik, said sanctions against the Netherlands were likely. “We will surely have sanctions against the latest actions by the Netherlands. We will answer them with these,” he said. It was “essential to avoid further escalation and find ways to calm down the situation”, the two said in a joint statement. Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, urged all concerned to “show mutual respect and be calm”.
Dutch police used dogs and water cannon on Sunday to disperse demonstrations after Turkey’s family minister, Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, was escorted out of the country and the foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, denied permission to land. In Ankara, Turkey’s minister for EU affairs, Ömer Çelik, said sanctions against the Netherlands were now likely. “We will surely have sanctions against the latest actions by the Netherlands. We will answer them with these,” he said.
The Turkish justice minister, Bekir Bozdağ, said the country would “not allow anyone to play with the honour of the Turkish nation and Turkish state”, while Nurettin Canikli, a deputy prime minister, described Europe as a “very sick man”.
Dutch police used dogs and water cannon on Sunday to disperse demonstrators after Turkey’s family minister, Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, was escorted out of the country and the foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, denied permission to land.
The ministers were due to address a rally of Dutch Turks, many of whom are able to vote in the 16 April referendum.The ministers were due to address a rally of Dutch Turks, many of whom are able to vote in the 16 April referendum.
Daan Feddo Huisinga, the Dutch chargé d’affaires in Ankara, was called to the foreign ministry on Monday to receive formal protest notes at what it called the “disproportionate, inhumane and humiliating” treatment of the protesters.Daan Feddo Huisinga, the Dutch chargé d’affaires in Ankara, was called to the foreign ministry on Monday to receive formal protest notes at what it called the “disproportionate, inhumane and humiliating” treatment of the protesters.
The ministry also said the reception given to the two ministers was contrary to international conventions, diplomatic courtesy and diplomatic immunities, and demanded a written apology from the Dutch authorities.The ministry also said the reception given to the two ministers was contrary to international conventions, diplomatic courtesy and diplomatic immunities, and demanded a written apology from the Dutch authorities.
The Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland have all cited security and other concerns for their reluctance to allow Turkish officials to campaign in their countries for the referendum, infuriating Ankara. The Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland have cited security and other concerns for their reluctance to allow Turkish officials to campaign in their countries.
Erdoğan last week accused Germany of “Nazi practices” after Çavuşoğlu was banned from speaking at a rally in Hamburg, drawing a rare rebuke from the chancellor, Angela Merkel. But with as many as 1.4 million Turkish voters in Germany alone, Erdoğan cannot afford to ignore the foreign electorate.
The Turkish president twice made the same claim of the Netherlands on Saturday, describing the Dutch government as “Nazi remnants” and telling a rally in Istanbul: “I thought nazism was over, but I was wrong. In fact, nazism is alive in the west.” The standoff has strained relations already frayed over human rights, while repeated indications from Erdoğan that he could personally try to address rallies in EU countries risked inflaming the situation more.
Erdogan has repeatedly indicated he may personally try to address rallies in EU countries, a move that could inflame the situation further, and the issue risks spiralling into a crisis with the EU as a whole. The row also risks dimming yet further Turkey’s prospects of joining the EU, a process under way for more than 50 years. “The formal end of accession negotiations with Turkey now looks inevitable,” the German commentator Daniel Brössler wrote in the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The situation risks further dimming Ankara’s prospects of joining the bloc, a process that has been under way for more than half a century. “The formal end of accession negotiations with Turkey is now inevitable,” the German commentator Daniel Brössler wrote in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Austria’s chancellor, Christian Kern, called for an EU-wide ban on Turkish rallies, saying it would help take pressure off individual countries. But Merkel’s chief of staff, Peter Altmaier, said that while accession talks could be halted, he had doubts as to whether the bloc should collectively decide on a rally ban.
Faced with European dismay, Ankara has doubled down. The Turkish justice minister, Bekir Bozdağ, warned on Monday that the country would “not allow anyone to play with the honour of the Turkish nation and Turkish state”.
A deputy prime minister, Nurettin Canikli, described Europe as a “very sick man”, adding: “From now on, we are going to be watching the collapse of Europe.”
Analysts said the Turkish president was using the crisis to show voters his strong leadership was needed against a Europe he routinely presents as hostile.Analysts said the Turkish president was using the crisis to show voters his strong leadership was needed against a Europe he routinely presents as hostile.
Erdoğan is “looking for ‘imagined’ foreign enemies to boost his nationalist base in the run-up to the referendum,” said Soner Cagaptay, the director of the Turkish Research Programme at the Washington Institute.Erdoğan is “looking for ‘imagined’ foreign enemies to boost his nationalist base in the run-up to the referendum,” said Soner Cagaptay, the director of the Turkish Research Programme at the Washington Institute.
Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, who had opposed the visit by Turkish ministers because of fears it might disrupt this week’s parliamentary elections, said Erdoğan’s Nazi jibe was “totally unacceptable” and demanded an apology. Marc Pierini, the EU’s former envoy to Turkey, said he saw no immediate solution to the crisis because “the referendum outcome in Turkey is very tight and the leadership will do everything to ramp up the nationalist narrative to garner more votes”.
Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, on Monday expressed Germany’s solidarity, saying the Dutch had “suffered badly under the Nazi regime, and it is outrageous to want to accuse them of being close to such ideology”. In the medium-term, Pierini said: “One can hope the fever will subside. Yet bridges have been burned at a personal level: using a ‘Nazi’ narrative is extreme … and will probably prevent any summit meeting between the EU and Turkey for a while.”
The German interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, said there were legal avenues to stop Turkish politicians from campaigning for the referendum in Europe. “A Turkish campaign has no business being here in Germany,” he said. Erdoğan last week accused Germany of “Nazi practices” after Çavuşoğlu was banned from speaking at a rally in Hamburg.
The Turkish president twice made the same claim of the Dutch on Saturday, describing them as “Nazi remnants” and telling a rally in Istanbul: “I thought nazism was over, but I was wrong. In fact, nazism is alive in the west.”
Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister who faces a strong far-right challenge in this week’s parliamentary elections and showed little desire to appease Turkey, demanded an apology for Erdoğan’s “totally unacceptable” jibe.
Denmark has also postponed a planned visit next weekend by the Turkish prime minister, Binali Yıldırım, saying the meeting could not be seen as “separate from the current Turkish attacks on Holland”.Denmark has also postponed a planned visit next weekend by the Turkish prime minister, Binali Yıldırım, saying the meeting could not be seen as “separate from the current Turkish attacks on Holland”.
But European states are not entirely united in their stance: Çavuşoğlu himself called off a planned visit to Switzerland, despite the Swiss federal government saying there was “nothing to justify” cancelling it. European states are not entirely united: Çavuşoğlu himself called off a planned visit to Switzerland, despite the Swiss federal government saying there was “nothing to justify” cancelling it, after Zurich police expressed security concerns.
The Swiss foreign minister, Didier Burkhalter, said the fundamental right to freedom of expression should be respected to show countries including Turkey that they too must guarantee it. The French government also allowed Çavuşoğlu to address a rally in Metz on Sunday but was strongly criticised by opposition politicians including François Fillon, the rightwing candidate for president, who accused it of mismanaging the situation and “flagrantly breaking with European solidarity” on the issue.
The French government also allowed Çavuşoğlu to address a rally in Metz on Sunday. Jean-Marc Ayrault, the foreign minister, said that in the absence of a serious threat to public order, there was no reason to ban the meeting.
But several opposition politicians rejected his argument. François Fillon, the rightwing candidate for president, accused the government of mismanaging the situation and “flagrantly breaking European solidarity” on the issue.
The Dutch government updated its travel advice for Turkey on Monday, warning about the heightened diplomatic tensions. “Stay alert across the whole of Turkey and avoid gatherings and crowded places,” it said.The Dutch government updated its travel advice for Turkey on Monday, warning about the heightened diplomatic tensions. “Stay alert across the whole of Turkey and avoid gatherings and crowded places,” it said.