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| Erdoğan accuses Germany of 'Nazi practices' over blocked political rallies | Erdoğan accuses Germany of 'Nazi practices' over blocked political rallies |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has lashed out at Germany for blocking several rallies on its soil before an April vote in Turkey on boosting his powers, likening its stance to Nazi practices. | The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has lashed out at Germany for blocking several rallies on its soil before an April vote in Turkey on boosting his powers, likening its stance to Nazi practices. |
| “Your practices are not different from the Nazi practices of the past,” Erdogan said of Germany at a women’s rally in Istanbul, ahead of a 16 April referendum on whether to approve changes to the constitution. | “Your practices are not different from the Nazi practices of the past,” Erdogan said of Germany at a women’s rally in Istanbul, ahead of a 16 April referendum on whether to approve changes to the constitution. |
| “I thought it’s been a long time since Germany left [Nazi practices]. We are mistaken,” he said. | “I thought it’s been a long time since Germany left [Nazi practices]. We are mistaken,” he said. |
| German authorities withdrew permission last week for two rallies by Turkish residents in German cities amid growing public outrage over Ankara’s arrest of a Turkish-German journalist, dragging bilateral ties to a new low. | |
| The planned rallies were part of a Turkish government campaign to win support among Germany’s 1.5 million-strong Turkish community for sweeping new presidential powers going to referendum in April. The German authorities cited security concerns. | |
| The cancellations have infuriated the Turkish government, which accused Berlin of working against the “yes” campaign in the referendum and summoned the German ambassador to the foreign ministry in protest. | The cancellations have infuriated the Turkish government, which accused Berlin of working against the “yes” campaign in the referendum and summoned the German ambassador to the foreign ministry in protest. |
| “You will lecture us about democracy and then you will not let this country’s ministers speak there,” said an angry Erdoğan, adding that Germany was not “respecting opinion and thought”. | “You will lecture us about democracy and then you will not let this country’s ministers speak there,” said an angry Erdoğan, adding that Germany was not “respecting opinion and thought”. |
| Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, on Saturday called Binali Yıldırım, Turkey’s prime minister, to try to defuse the row, and the two countries’ foreign ministers are set to meet later this week. | Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, on Saturday called Binali Yıldırım, Turkey’s prime minister, to try to defuse the row, and the two countries’ foreign ministers are set to meet later this week. |
| Relations between Turkey and Germany lurched into crisis after the arrest and incarceration of | |
| Deniz Yücel, a correspondent for Die Welt who was formally arrested last week pending a trial on charges of propaganda and incitement to hatred. Erdoğan claimed the journalist was a German spy and a representative of the outlawed Kurdish rebel group PKK. | |
| Erdoğan accused Berlin of harbouring him for a month at the German consulate in Istanbul before agreeing to hand him over to authorities. “They need to be put on trial for aiding and abetting terrorism,” Erdoğan said during a speech on Friday. | Erdoğan accused Berlin of harbouring him for a month at the German consulate in Istanbul before agreeing to hand him over to authorities. “They need to be put on trial for aiding and abetting terrorism,” Erdoğan said during a speech on Friday. |
| His comments came after hours after Turkey’s justice minister, Bekir Bozdağ, was prevented from holding a rally in a south-west German town. | His comments came after hours after Turkey’s justice minister, Bekir Bozdağ, was prevented from holding a rally in a south-west German town. |