Turkey’s leader, President Erdogan, has accused the Dutch authorities of acting like “Nazis” after they expelled a Turkish minister who was hosting a campaign in the city of Rotterdam and denied a visa to Turkey’s foreign minister.
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, has demanded an apology for the slur. During the Second World War Holland was invaded by Nazi forces and many thousands of Jews were executed, making the remark particularly offensive.
As tensions mount between Holland and Turkey, the Dutch politician leading the polls ahead of this week’s general election has demanded that all 400,000 ethnic Turks in his country are stripped of their dual citizenship.
Geert Wilders, leader of the far right Freedom Party, said Turks are a “fifth column” and ordered Holland’s borders to be closed immediately.
Erdogan is currently trying to secure electoral support from the estimated 4.6 million Turkish expatriates living in western Europe before a referendum next month which would grant him sweeping new constitutional powers.
The Turkish foreign minister travelled to France for a pro-Erdogan rally in the northern city of Metz yesterday to try to secure the votes of 700,000 expatriates there.
Far-right parties in Holland and France said this was evidence of the creeping influence of Islam on their way of life.
Wilders, who has campaigned against the “Islamisation” of Europe, said: “We have a fifth column in the Netherlands. If your loyalty lies elsewhere then get out. No dual citizenship anymore. And shut the borders.”
Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Front in France, said: “Why should we tolerate on our soil what other democracies refuse? No Turkish election campaign in France.”
Holland’s general election is on Wednesday. Wilders and Mr Rutte are neck and neck in the polls.
