Turkish president Erdogan warns the Netherlands it will "pay the price" 12 March
I've just popped back to report on the latest escalations on the riots in Rotterdam last night following two Turkish ministers being barred from making speeches.
Water cannon and riot police on horseback were deployed to disperse about 1,000 people protesting outside the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam overnight.
Speaking in Istanbul today Erdogan said of the Netherlands:
"They will certainly pay the price, and also learn what diplomacy is."
Holland! If you are sacrificing Turkish-Dutch relations for the sake of the elections on Wednesday, you will pay a price."
Erdogan is looking to the large number of Turks living in Europe, especially in Germany and the Netherlands, to help secure victory next month ( 16 April) in a referendum that would give him a range of new powers allowing him to appoint ministers, prepare the budget, choose the majority of senior judges and enact certain laws by decree.
In order to get it passed, Mr Erdogan needs the votes of citizens living within Turkey and abroad. There are 5.5mln Turks living outside the country, with 1.4mln eligible voters in Germany alone - and the Yes campaign is keen to get them on side.
Chancellor Merkel has said she will do all she can to prevent Turkey's domestic tensions spreading onto German territory. Austria and Switzerland have also canceled Turkish rallies due to the escalating dispute. France however have been more accommodating.
Reuters has more here
The latest developments in the Netherlands come as the country prepares for elections of its own this Wednesday, an event that has somewhat remained under the radar lately with focus centred mainly on the French elections next month.
The Liberal-led Dutch govt under Mark Rutte faces a real, albeit reportedly declining, challenge from the populist anti-Islam Freedom Party of Geert Wilders but the gap between the two front-runners and other parties is narrowing. We should not rule out some wobbles in the euro leading into Wednesday's result if they make a strong mark on the landscape following the U.K.'s Brexit vote and Trump making it to the White House.
Riots in Rotterdam as 1000 pro-Erdogan supporters take to the streets