Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday called on Turkish-origin Germans to give a "slap" to both parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition in September polls, pressing on with what Berlin has condemned as unprecedented meddling.
On Friday, Erdoğan had called on ethnic Turks not to support major parties including Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SPD) nor the Greens in the September 24 legislative polls, calling them “enemies of Turkey”. On Saturday he urged Turks in Germany to "teach a lesson" to Germany's "anti-Turkish" mainstream parties in next month's parliamentary election, despite German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel's warning he should keep out of German politics.
"Who are you to talk to the president of Turkey? Talk to Turkey's foreign minister. Know your place," Erdogan said at a rally for his AK Party in the southwestern province of Denizli.
"Be with those who are friendly to Turkey. Don't worry if it's a small party, give them your vote. They will then grow and get bigger. In my opinion, those who attack Turkey in this way need to be dealt a slap in this election," Erdoğ said in his address in the southwestern Denizli province on Saturday.
Analysts estimate that about 1.2 million people of Turkish origin will have the right to vote in the September elections.
