Turkish-German war of words escalates

ANKARA: Ankara and Berlin were locked in acrimony Friday after several German towns scrapped rallies courting support from Turkish expatriates for a constitutional change that will expand President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected Turkey’s bitter accusations that her government had a hand in scrapping the rallies.
Turks vote on April 16 on whether to create a presidential system — a change that the government says will ensure political stability, but which critics say will herald one-man rule by Erdogan.
In the run-up to the referendum, controversy has flared over politicians’ trips to Germany, where they have been seeking “Yes” votes from the millions of people of Turkish descent.
One such event was a rally by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in the western city of Oberhausen.
On Thursday, local authorities blocked rallies by two more Turkish ministers, prompting a furious response from Ankara which promptly summoned the German envoy to protest.
“They do not want Turkey to campaign here, they are working for a ‘No’,” Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in the Turkish capital on Friday. “They want to get in the way of a strong Turkey.”
But the German government denied having had anything to do with the cancellations.
“That is a decision the federal government has absolutely no influence on... because it falls under local or state jurisdiction on which we have zero influence,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer.
Merkel said the decisions were “taken by municipalities, and as a matter of principle, we apply freedom of expression in Germany.” She added: “I also think that it was our right to criticize any restrictions on press freedom.”
A third German town also canceled a rally due to take place Sunday at an event hall called Golden Palast in the town of Frechen, on the western outskirts of Cologne, with Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci as the guest speaker.
Austria has also said it would not allow any campaign-related events.
Ties between Turkey and Germany have been frayed over a series of disputes since last July's failed coup targeting Erdogan.
Tempers on Monday flared again after 43-year-old Deniz Yucel, a correspondent for Germany’s Die Welt daily, was charged by an Istanbul court with spreading terrorist propaganda and inciting hatred.
The dual national has been held in prison since Feb. 18, with Gabriel saying the case would make “everything harder” for Turkish-German relations.