Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has accused Germany of “fascist actions” reminiscent of Nazi times in a growing row over the cancellation of political rallies aimed at drumming up support for him among 1.5 million Turkish citizens in Germany.

German politicians reacted with shock and anger. The deputy leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party said the Turkish president was “reacting like a wilful child that cannot have his way”, while a top leader of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party described Erdogan as the “despot of the Bosphorus” and demanded an apology.German authorities withdrew permission last week for two rallies by Turkish citizens in German cities at which Turkish ministers were to urge a “Yes” vote in a referendum next month on granting Erdogan sweeping new presidential powers. Berlin says the rallies were cancelled on security grounds.

Irony number 1: Nowadays, fascism is not being able to hold political rallies in someone else’s country (nota bene, Austria has also said no to Turkish rallies and the Netherlands are considering a similar move).

Irony number 2: the rallies are in support of a rather fascist political move itself. As Turkish commentator Ali Bayramoglu writes, “The amendments basically involve a new system of governance, switching from a parliamentarian to a presidential regime. A closer look, however, leaves little doubt that the objective goes well beyond that. The draft contains all the elements that would move Turkey away from the core norms of a pluralist, democratic state of law — separation of powers and a system of checks and balances — and transform it into a majoritarian authoritarian system.”

Irony number 3: Erdogan himself has positively cited Hitler’s Germany as an example of the powers he wants for himself under the new system.

So, to recap: a leader inspired by Hitler who wants to introduce Hitleresque constitutional changes thinks that not allowing him to have public rallies in favour of this is fascist.