Turkish president brands Dutch govt 'Nazis' and 'fascists' after they refuse entry to Foreign Minister

Mr Erdogan told a rally in Istanbul: "You can stop our foreign minister's plane all you want; let's see how your (diplomatic) planes will come to Turkey from now on."

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

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

Turkey also summoned the Dutch charges d'affaires in protest.

Earlier on Saturday, 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."

He also repeated the government's charges that bans on rallies are "fascist practices".

He said the 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". The constitutional changes would give the president more powers.

The Dutch government said it had been searching with Turkish authorities for an "acceptable solution" to Mr Cavusoglu's plan to campaign in the Netherlands, but "before these talks were completed, Turkish authorities publicly threatened sanctions. That makes the search for a reasonable solution impossible".

The diplomatic row comes just days before the Netherlands goes to the polls in a March 15 election for the lower house of Parliament. The campaign has been dominated by issues of identity, with anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders set to make strong gains.

After Mr Wilders accused the government of a weak response to Turkish plans to send ministers to the Netherlands to campaign, he insisted it was his pressure which made the difference.

"Great! Thanks to heavy PVV- pressure a few days before the Dutch elections our government did NOT allow the Turkish minister to land here!!," he said in a Twitter message, referring to his Party for Freedom.

He later added "I am tell all Turks in the Netherlands that agree with Erdogan: GO to Turkey and NEVER come back!!."

Earlier on Saturday, Mr Cavusoglu said: "Wilders is racist, fascist, Nazi, like a Nazi."

Citing comments that Mr Wilders wanted action against Muslims, Mr Cavusoglu said: "What are you going to do? Are you going to kill them, burn them or what?"

The Dutch government said it does not object to meetings in the Netherlands to give information about the Turkish referendum, "but these meetings should not add to tensions in our society and everybody who wants to organise a meeting must adhere to instructions from authorities so that public order and security can be guaranteed".

It said the Turkish government "does not want to respect the rules in this matter".

Turkey's EU minister Omer Celik tweeted that the decision to block the foreign minister's visit "will go down in history as a dark spot on the Netherlands' democracy and diplomacy".

He said: "The Netherlands' decision to cancel the flight permit of our foreign minister is not befitting of friendship. This decision does not suit our alliance and our friendship that has spanned centuries. If racist Geert Wilders were in power in the Netherlands, he'd make such a decision."

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's main opposition party, also criticised the Dutch decision, saying: "This is not correct."

He added: "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?"

AP