Turkey President says Netherlands 'will pay the price' for blocking visit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned the Netherlands that it will "pay the price" for a diplomatic stand-off after a Turkish minister was blocked from visiting the country's consulate in Rotterdam and tensions between the two countries exploded in angry protests.

Erdogan described the treatment of Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, minister for families, as shameless and accused the Dutch of "behaving like a banana republic".

"If you can sacrifice Turkish-Dutch relations for an election on Wednesday, you will pay the price.I thought nazism was over, but I was wrong. In fact, nazism is alive in the west," The Guardian quoted Erdogan as saying.

He called on international organisations to impose sanctions against the Netherlands but did not say if there would be direct repercussions from his country.

The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, who faces a stiff political test in parliamentary elections on Wednesday, said Turkey had crossed a diplomatic line.

Branding the move irresponsible and demanding Erdogan's apology for his references to nazism, Rutte nonetheless said he would continue to seek a diplomatic solution.