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The Latest: Rutte calls Turkish ‘fascists’ remark ‘crazy’

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters in Istanbul, Saturday, March 11, 2017. The Dutch government on Saturday withdrew landing permission for the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's aircraft, drawing the ire of the Turkish president and escalating a diplomatic dispute between the two NATO allies over campaigning for a Turkish referendum on constitutional reform. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised retaliation against Dutch diplomatic flights.(Pool Photo via AP)
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters in Istanbul, Saturday, March 11, 2017. The Dutch government on Saturday withdrew landing permission for the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's aircraft, drawing the ire of the Turkish president and escalating a diplomatic dispute between the two NATO allies over campaigning for a Turkish referendum on constitutional reform. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised retaliation against Dutch diplomatic flights.(Pool Photo via AP)

By Associated Press 3 min read

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – The Latest on Dutch barring Turkish foreign minister (all times local):

3:05 p.m.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called a Turkish allegation that the Dutch acted like “fascists” by banning the foreign minister from entering the Netherlands to campaign “a crazy remark.”

“I understand they are angry but this is of course way out of line,” Rutte said in the southern Netherlands during a campaign rally for next Wednesday’s Dutch elections.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Dutch “do not know politics or international diplomacy” and added, “these Nazi remnants, they are fascists.”