ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday compared anti-Turkey statements by German politicians to “Nazism” after Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would seek to end talks on Ankara’s accession to the EU.
“I’m not saying you’re a Nazi, a fascist. I am explaining the incident... This incident is Nazism. This is fascism,” Erdogan said, reacting to comments made by Merkel and Martin Schulz, her Social Democratic rival, during a televised debate ahead of elections on Sept. 24.
“You have entered into the election campaign in a competition for this title,” he told local ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials in Ankara.
Meanwhile, Germany has issued a travel advisory warning its citizens visiting Turkey about the risk of arbitrary detention even at tourism destinations. The move might affect the flow of German tourists to Turkey, which has already been undermined by terrorist attacks in major cities over recent years, including assaults on German tourists in Istanbul’s historical sites.
The reason behind Berlin’s advisory is the detention of two German citizens at Antalya airport last week.
Germany, which once made up the largest group of visitors to Turkey, has posted a 20 percent decline this year compared to 2016.
“I tell Merkel: If you cannot tolerate the EU’s relationship with Turkey, bravely say it and do what’s necessary!” Erdogan said.
He repeated his call for ethnic Turks in Germany not to “give your vote to Turkey enemies,” which last month infuriated German politicians.
Erdogan called the EU’s stance toward Ankara’s accession bid “hypocrisy and political immorality,” and urged Brussels to make a clear decision “at once” on the process.
“We didn’t have any problem with the EU. You’ve kept Turkey waiting. Turkey has complied with all its commitments. It’s the EU that should take a step. They must either keep their word ... or come out and say ‘we don’t want to continue on this path’.”
Erdogan insisted that Turkey had not moved away from its “strategic goal of EU membership” and was fulfilling its duties.
Erdogan compares anti-Turkey statements by Germany to ‘Nazism’
Erdogan compares anti-Turkey statements by Germany to ‘Nazism’
