German FM criticized over statements on Erdogan
Comments by Sigmar Gabriel on President Erdogan were 'disrespectful, insolent', Turkish Deputy PM Bozdag says.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag on Saturday condemned German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel for what he deemed were disrespectful statements regarding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Anadolu Agency.
Speaking to reporters in central Turkey’s Yozgat province, Bozdag said the comments pronounced by the German official were "disrespectful, insolent".
Erdogan on Friday called on Turkish-origin German citizens not to vote for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, Martin Schulz’s Social Democrat Party (SDP) or the Green Party because he said they showed an anti-Turkey stance.
The German foreign minister criticized the Turkish president’s remarks saying they constituted an interference in the German general election, which is scheduled to take place on Sept. 24.
“Our honorable president’s call [was aimed at] those Turkish-origin [voters] who obtained citizenship in Germany and acquired the right to vote there, not other German citizens,” said Bozdag
“This is very clear, but despite this, there are statements [from the German side] that are very disrespectful, insolent and surpassed the boundary of modesty. I want to say that I condemn those statements [...].”
He also accused German politicians, as well as the country state-run broadcasters, of backing the "no" campaign -- not supported by the Turkish government -- during the referendum campaign.
News.Az
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