German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected comments by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan referring to the Netherlands as "Nazi remnants" as completely unacceptable, say the remarks invoking the Nazi past were misguided.
Erdogan had branded the Netherlands "Nazi remnants, fascists" on Saturday after the Dutch government withdrew permission for his Foreign Minister to land there.
Rotterdam city authorities had refused to allow him to attend a meeting to rally support for Erdogan's plans for extended powers which will be put to a referendum next month.
"Germany completely rejects rhetorical and any other comparisons with the National Socialists made by the Turkish president," Merkel said on Monday, adding she had already condemned Nazi analogies he had levelled against Germany in a speech in parliament last week.
"This rejection is also valid for our allies, such as the Netherlands. These comparisons are completely misguided. They trivialise the suffering. Particularly in the Netherlands that endured so much agony through the National Socialists, it's just completely unacceptable. That's why the Netherlands can count on my complete support and solidarity on this."
Erdogan, who survived an army attempt to topple him in July, is working to win the votes of Turks abroad in an April referendum that would give him sweeping new powers. But unease is spreading in Europe over the dispatch of ministers to communities themselves sometimes deeply divided.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Saturday said Erdogan's remark comparing the Dutch to the Nazis was "way out of line".
"It's a crazy remark of course," Rutte told reporters during campaigning for the March 15 election. "I understand they're angry, but this of course was way out of line."
