Turkish President Erdoğan accuses Merkel of supporting terrorists

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan responded angrily to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's support for the Netherlands
Tuesday, 14 March 2017 18:44

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan responded angrily to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's support for the Netherlands. "Shame on you!" he exclaimed during an interview with A Haber television on Monday. 

Erdoğan, who last week invoked Berlin's Nazi past in criticising cancellations of Turkish ministers' rallies in Germany, renewed his attack on Merkel after she criticised his "Nazi remnants" jibe against the Dutch. "The countries that have embraced this thuggery have lost all their credibility.

The Chancellor of Germany has come out and said she supported the Netherlands. We know that you are no different than them," Erdoğan said. Merkel, speaking at a news conference in Munich on Monday, pledged her "full support and solidarity" to the Dutch, saying the Nazi gibes were "completely unacceptable."

Erdoğan renewed accusations that Germany supported "terrorists" battling Turkey and that it backed the 'no' campaign in the Turkish referendum, arguing that Berlin did not want to see a strong Turkey emerge. "Some of the European Union countries - let's not put all of them in the same sack - unfortunately, cannot stomach Turkey's rise," Erdoğan said. “Unfortunately some countries of the European Union do not tolerate the rise of Turkey, and Germany is at the head. Germany relentlessly supports terrorism … Dear Merkel, you are supporting terrorists!” Erdoğan was referring to armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

He went on to advise Turks living in Europe not to vote for parties that he described as "enemies of Turkey."

In the television interview, Erdogan repeated slurs against the Netherlands, saying: "their Vienna Convention is their fascism. Their Nazism. We can say neo-Nazism." He was referring to a 1961 international treaty on diplomatic relations.

GERMANY REJECTS ERDOĞAN'S CHARGE ON PKK

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Tuesday that the PKK is banned in Germany and "we don't tolerate terrorism, including by the PKK."

He added: "Any leads from Turkey on such activities in Germany that are usable in court are very welcome - but we don't need extra tuition on how to deal with fighting PKK terrorism that is supported and organised from Germany."De Maiziere said that "Turkey itself remains an important partner for us in the fight against international terrorism."