March 15, 2017 - 13:34 AMT
EU’s Donald Tusk: Turkey "completely detached from reality"

Turkey is "completely detached from reality" in calling the Dutch fascists, European Council President Donald Tusk has said, according to Reuters.

His remarks come amid a row between Turkey and European nations over campaigning for a Turkish referendum.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the Dutch government of being "Nazi remnants" and made jibes about its role during the Bosnian war.

The Dutch prime minister called the remarks a "vile falsification".

Turkey is furious at the decision by the Netherlands - as well as Germany - to cancel events aimed at stirring support for a "yes" vote in a 16 April referendum on giving President Erdogan greater powers.

In his remarks to the European Parliament, Tusk said the Netherlands was "a place of freedom and democracy. And for sure Rotterdam," he said - the Dutch city which has seen clashes since one Turkish minister was prevented from speaking on Saturday, March 11, "The city of Erasmus, brutally destroyed by the Nazis, which today has a mayor born in Morocco," he added.

"If anyone sees fascism in Rotterdam, they are completely detached from reality."