Europe tries to cool passions between Turkey and the Netherlands

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Ankara and its allies from NATO "to demonstrate mutual respect" and to de-escalate tensionsGermany, France, the European Commission and NATO - leading European countries and organizations on Monday urged Turkey and the Netherlands to master diplomatic crisis between them.

So far it does not work and the authorities in Ankara are talking about preparing sanctions against the Allies in NATO and a review of part of the agreement with the EU to stop the influx of migrants to Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who compared the authorities in The Hague by "remnants of Nazism", because his ministers were not allowed to campaign on Dutch territory. "Germany rejects entirely rhetorical and any other comparisons to the Nazis made by the Turkish president," Merkel said.

"This rejection is true for our allies, including the Netherlands. These comparisons are absolutely irrelevant. They trivialize the suffering. Especially unacceptable are the Netherlands, which suffered so much torture for the National Socialists. That is why the Netherlands can count on my full solidarity and support" said Merkel.

"It is unacceptable to mention Nazism and fascism," said and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. He called for the termination of diplomatic conflict, adding that Turkey must respect the European Convention on Human Rights, said the agency "Reuters". EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn urged Turkey "to refrain from strong statements and actions that risked exacerbating the conflict." "It is vital to avoid further escalation," reads their common statement. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Ankara and its allies from NATO "to demonstrate mutual respect" and to de-escalate tensions. According to Turkish media, the government can discuss on Monday evening economic sanctions, perhaps limiting cultural activities and military and technological cooperation.