Turkey lodges diplomatic protest over Netherlands incidents

Turkey's foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Dutch envoy in Ankara and lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Netherlands over the treatment of its ministers, as well as police tactics against expatriate Turkish protesters.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday called for international sanctions against the Netherlands and said it was acting like a "banana republic" in barring his ministers from speaking to expatriate Turkish residents and citizens.

Ankara's actions followed a week of anti-Turkish actions in a number of European capitals to prevent Ankara and its representatives from meeting Turkish communities ahead of an April referendum that would increase presidential powers.

TRT World's Andrew Hopkins in Ankara and Simon McGregor-Wood in Amsterdam have more.

Turkey lodges diplomatic protest

Turkey's first note condemned the Netherlands' treatment of Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya and Turkish diplomats. It calls for an investigation of the incidents.

The Dutch government cancelled Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu's flight permit to the Netherlands on Saturday and then blocked a convoy carrying Kaya from entering the Turkish Consulate in Rotterdam.

Ankara said Dutch actions violated the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The international convention enables diplomats to perform their duties without fear of coercion or harassment by the host country.

Kaya's vehicle was blocked from entering the Rotterdam consulate, where she was due to meet members of the Turkish community ahead of the April 16 referendum.

She was later forced to leave the consulate area with a police escort.

The second diplomatic note slammed police treatment of the Turkish community and Turkish expatriates who were protesting against the cancellation of Cavusoglu's and Kaya's appearances.

Police used batons, dogs, and water cannons to disperse protesters in what Ankara called an inhumane and disproportionate use of force.

Turkey is demanding punishment of the security forces for their tactics.

Monday's summons was the third time the Dutch charge d'affaires has been summoned since Saturday over the row. The Dutch ambassador is on leave and the Turkish foreign ministry has said it does not want him to return "for some time."

Europe shows its "real face"

Europe's mask has come off and its real face has been revealed to the world following recent bans on Turkish ministers by Germany and the Netherlands, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday.

Speaking in Istanbul, Erdogan said recent events show some of the "signs of increasing fascism, racism, and Islamophobia" in Europe.

"The West has thrown off its mask in recent days," Erdogan said.

He thanked France for not "getting involved in such games."

Erdogan rejected the reasons being given for banning visits by Turkish ministers.

"Will they say they did not invite [the ministers]?"

"I can go to any country with my passport, both as a diplomat and within the frame of the freedom of travel," he said.

Last week, Erdogan compared German bans of Turkish referendum rallies to Nazi practises.

On Sunday he said countries behaving this way with Turkey would soon "learn what international diplomacy is."

Erdogan also called on the international community to raise its voice and sanction the Netherlands.

"I call on all EU institutions and all institutions working to protect democracy, human rights and rule of law to raise their voices against Netherlands and even impose sanctions on it," he said.

"Netherlands acted like a banana republic as opposed to an EU member and a state of law," he added.

The European Commission on Monday called for calm in the face of the claims, counter claims, actions and statements regarding the EU's spat with Turkey.

"It is essential to avoid further escalation and find ways to calm down the situation," a Commission spokesman said.