Turkey-Netherlands Crisis: Erdogan Says Apology Not Enough, to Intensify Sanctions

Local Editor

In the latest developments of the Turkey-Netherlands crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the diplomatic row with the country could not be dismissed with an apology, and that further actions could be taken, after Turkey on Monday suspended high-level diplomatic ties with the Dutch.

Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erdogan further accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of attacking Turkey the same way Dutch police used dogs and water cannon to disperse protesters outside the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam.

Erdogan said Merkel was "no different from the Netherlands," and urged emigre Turks to not vote for "the government and the racists" in upcoming European elections.

Turkey suspended high-level diplomatic relations with the Netherlands after Dutch authorities prevented its ministers from speaking at rallies of expatriate Turks in order to drum up support for an April referendum to grant Erdogan's office sweeping powers, deepening the row between the two NATO allies.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team