ISTANBUL // The war of words between Turkey and western Europe escalated further on Thursday with Ankara threatening to ditch the agreement to take in migrants bound for the European Union.
In ever angrier declarations, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan also told the newly-re-elected Dutch prime minister he had lost Ankara as a friend while Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Dutch liberals of being no better than fascists.
Turkey and Europe have been locked in a diplomatic spat after The Netherlands and Germany blocked Turkish ministers from holding rallies to secure a ‘yes’ vote in next month’s referendum on expanding Mr Erdogan’s powers.
While much of Europe congratulated Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte on his election victory and hailed his defeat of the far-right Geert Wilders as a rejection of xenophobia, the Turkish leadership were dismissive.
“You look at the social democrats and the fascist Wilders, there is no difference, they have the same mentality,” Mr Cavusoglu said. And he warned Europe it was heading for a new religious war. “Where are you going, where are you taking Europe?” he asked. “You have begun to disintegrate Europe and take Europe to the cliff. Soon religious wars will begin in Europe.”
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‘Tulip Crisis’
■ How domestic elections are at the root of the Turkey-Netherlands row
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Mr Erdogan has repeatedly accused the EU of acting like “Nazis”, and ignored all appeals to stop using such inflammatory language. Mr Rutte has tried to defuse the row, allegedly suggesting that any differences could be sorted out over dinner.
But at a rally in the northwestern province of Sakarya on Thursday, Mr Erdogan mocked the Dutch prime minister and his election victory, which gave his party the highest number of seats in the Dutch parliament, saying, “Hey Rutte! You have emerged as the number one party in the election but you must know that you have lost Turkey as your friend.”
The municipality of Istanbul also announced it would break off its 12-year “twin city” relationship with the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, at Mr Erdogan’s urging. ”
In a referendum set for April 16, Turks are due to vote on constitutional changes which will create an executive presidency and greatly expand Mr Erdogan’s powers. Turkish ministers had wanted to hold a rally in support of the proposed changes in Rotterdam, which has a sizeable Turkish population, but clashes broke out when the Dutch police stepped in to the stop it.
Mr Cavusoglu questioned The Netherlands’ understanding of “humanity, democracy and freedom”, insisting Turkey would not remain passive against such actions. “You will see in the coming period, we will take further steps,” the minister added without giving further details. But on Wednesday, he threatened to unilaterally scrap a deal struck with the EU a year ago to stop migrants crossing into the bloc’s territory in return for EU aid, visa-free travel and a resumption of talks on Turkey joining the union. The agreement has substantially reduced the flow of migrants and refugees into the EU.
“We can stop (the deal) unilaterally ... From now on, we can say ‘we will not apply it and it will be over’,” Mr Cavusoglu said in a TV interview.
In another escalation of the row, the municipality of Istanbul also announced it would break off its 12-year “twin city” relationship with the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, at Mr Erdogan’s urging. ”
The decision of the European Court of Justice this week to allow European companies to ban employees from wearing religious or political symbols, including the hijab, added more fuel to the fire, with Mr Erdogan accusing the court of starting a “crusade” – a loaded word in Muslim societies – against Islam.
“Shame on the EU. Down with your European principles, values and justice ... They started a clash between the cross and the crescent, there is no other explanation,” the president fumed in a televised speech.
The French and German leaders on Thursday jointly condemned Mr Erdogan’s Nazi comparisons as “unacceptable” and the European commission said it expected Turkey to honour the accord on migration as “an engagement of mutual trust and delivery.”
* Agence France Presse
