Turkish FM Cavusoglu: EU Falling Apart, Future of Europe Not Pleasant at All

The European Union is falling apart, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday amid the deterioration of relations with the bloc over a row over Turkish rallies in the Netherlands and Germany ahead of the coming referendum on constitutional changes.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Cavusoglu accused the European Union of resorting to double standards in relations with Turkey.

"Do you know why? It is due to fear… The European Union is falling apart," the foreign minister said, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

Cavusoglu pointed out that the European countries were united around certain values, which were now "disappearing one-by-one."

"We think the future of Europe will not be pleasant at all," he added.

Turkish-EU relations are experiencing a noticeable slump amid the Netherlands' refusal to let Turkish officials organize demonstrations supporting the constitutional amendments that will be subject to the referendum scheduled for April 16 and, if endorsed, will give more powers to country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ankara reacted furiously, promising reciprocal actions and sanctions against the Netherlands, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labeled the Dutch authorities' behavior as "Nazism." On Monday, Ankara suspended high-level political contacts with the Netherlands and sent the country a diplomatic note, criticizing the treatment of Cavusoglu. Dutch authorities, in turn, demanded an apology for being compared to Nazis.