ROTTERDAM: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday drove his dispute with European nations to the hilt, claiming that “Nazism is alive in the West” after two of his ministers were prevented from campaigning in the Netherlands over the weekend.

While Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte worked to contain the diplomatic damage from his unusual actions, Mr Erdogan made it clear during an address broadcast live that Turkey wouldn’t be easily appeased.

He said Ankara would retaliate for the ousting of the Turkish family affairs minister from the Netherlands in an unprecedented midnight standoff outside the country’s Rotterdam consulate between a high-level government official and police in full gear.

Earlier in the day, the Netherlands had already denied Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu landing rights to address crowds at a Rotterdam rally.

‘Inflammatory remarks’ by Turkish leader won’t help de-escalate diplomatic row, says Dutch PM

“I said ‘I thought Nazism was over,’ but I was wrong. In fact, Nazism is alive in the West,” he said from Istanbul, reviving memories of Europe’s darkest past in remarks similar to ones he made about Germany earlier this month.

On the other hand, Mr Rutte said on Sunday that “inflammatory remarks” by Mr Erdogan would not help de-escalate a diplomatic row between the two countries.

He said that while the Netherlands did not seek confrontation with Ankara, it would have to weigh further options if Turkey did not stop making such comments.

“It is now in the interest of leadership and in the interest of working together to try to de-escalate, but of course the Turks then have to help and what they are saying today is not helping,” Rutte told journalists in The Hague.

To bolster support for an April 16 referendum that would expand the powers of Turkey’s president, Turkish cabinet ministers have been scheduling campaign trips to several European countries with sizable populations of Turkish expatriates.

However, some European nations claim that Turkey under Mr Erdogan is slowly slipping toward dictatorial means, especially since the aborted coup of last summer. Mr Rutte cited that concern in asking Mr Cavusoglu not to come to the Netherlands.

The furore between two Nato allies comes at a crucial time in the Netherlands, where issues of Dutch identity, relations with migrant communities and Islam have taken centre stage in the run-up to a national election on Wednesday.

In a neck and neck race, the parties of either Mr Rutte or populist firebrand Geert Wilders could end up with the most votes.

Mr Rutte said it was important for his government not to bow to Turkish pressure, especially, he said, after Ankara threatened sanctions if the Dutch kept its ministers out.

“Turkey is a proud nation; the Nether­lands is a proud nation. We can never do business under those sorts of threats and blackmail,” said Mr Rutte.

Mr Rutte’s actions, which came two days after several German municipalities cancelled rallies that Turkish cabinet ministers had planned to address, prompted Mr Erdogan on Saturday to accuse the Dutch of being “Nazi remnants.”

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2017