Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan today called on international organisations to impose sanctions on the Netherlands, as a diplomatic row over Ankara's political campaigning among Turkish immigrants in Europe continues to simmer.
Speaking at an event in Kocaeli province, near Istanbul, Mr Erdogan said the Netherlands was acting like a "banana republic", and criticised European countries for failing to voice criticism for the Netherlands' treatment of Turkish ministers.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said "inflammatory remarks" by Mr Erdogan would not help de-escalate the diplomatic row.
Mr Rutte 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," Mr Rutte said.
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Earlier, Mr Erdogan had branded its fellow NATO member a "Nazi remnant" and the dispute escalated into a diplomatic incident yesterday evening, when Turkey's family minister was prevented by police from entering the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam.
Hundreds of protesters waving Turkish flags gathered outside, demanding to see the minister.
Dutch police used dogs and water cannon early this morning to disperse the crowd, which threw bottles and stones. Several demonstrators were beaten by police with batons, a Reuters witness said.
They carried out charges on horseback, while officers advanced on foot with shields and armoured vans.
Less than a day after Dutch authorities prevented Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from flying to Rotterdam, Turkey's family minister, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, said on Twitter she was being escorted back to Germany.
"The world must take a stance in the name of democracy against this fascist act! This behaviour against a female minister can never be accepted," she said.
The Rotterdam minister confirmed she was being escorted by police to the German border.
Ms Kaya later boarded a private plane from the German town of Cologne to return to Istanbul, mass-circulating newspaper Hurriyet said this morning.
The Dutch government, which stands to lose heavily to the anti-Islam party of Geert Wilders in elections next week, said it considered the visits undesirable and "the Netherlands could not cooperate in the public political campaigning of Turkish ministers in the Netherlands."
The government said it saw the potential to import divisions into its own Turkish minority, which has both pro- and anti-Erdogan camps.
Dutch politicians across the spectrum said they supported Prime Minister Mark Rutte's decision to ban the visits.
Mr Erdogan is looking to the large number of Turks living in Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands, to help clinch victory next month in a referendum that would give the presidency sweeping new powers.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will do everything possible to prevent Turkish political tensions spilling onto German soil.
Four rallies in Austria and one in Switzerland have been cancelled due to the growing dispute.
