Germany angrily warned Turkey on Sunday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had gone too far this time. The Turkish President accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of using “Nazi measures” a statement that escalated the diplomatic tensions between the two countries dramatically.
The EU-Turkey crisis has been triggered by Turkey’s attempt to convince the Turkish population of European countries to vote in favor of the constitutional changes -that give enormous powers to the President- in the upcoming referendum in April 16th.
“When we call them Nazis they (Europe) get uncomfortable. They rally together in solidarity. Especially Merkel … But you are right now employing Nazi measures”, Erdogan said in a speech on Sunday referring to Merkel.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel stated that “we are tolerant but we’re not stupid. That’s why I have let my Turkish counterpart know very clearly that a boundary has been crossed here” he said.
The Turkish foreign ministry accused the German authorities “of the worst example of double standards” for allowing the pro-Kurdish protest while preventing Turkish ministers from campaigning there.
But Turkey has gone so far that implied that Germany was behind coup… The German intelligence chief stated that he was not convinced by the Turkish assertions that the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen was behind the failed July coup.
Defence Minister Fikri Isik reacted to the comments by saying that they raise the question if Berlin itself was involved in the failed coup.
And as if that was not enough, Erdogan brought up the issue of bringing back the death penalty, again. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned Sunday that any return of the death penalty in Turkey would be a “red line”.
Finally, Erdogan last week even called on Turks living in Europe to have more children to tilt the demographic balance.
Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen on Sunday said he was summoning the Turkish ambassador for an explanation after a report that dual nationals critical of Erdogan had been threatened.
