Don’t interfere in Turkish affairs, Erdogan tells Germany

ISTANBUL: Germany has no right to interfere in Turkey´s domestic affairs, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, his latest broadside in a blistering row sparked by the waves of arrests under the current state of emergency.

Several German nationals are among those being held and Berlin has warned its citizens that their safety cannot be guaranteed in Turkey and that consular access is not assured in case of arrest.

Throwing away any pretence at diplomatic nuance, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel had on Thursday also warned German firms against investment in Turkey and spoke of an "overhaul" of the entire relationship.

"Turkey is a social democratic state based on law and no one has the right to interfere in its internal affairs," said Erdogan before heading off on a trip to the Gulf. Addressing Gabriel´s comments, he said: "We (Turkey and Germany) are together in Nato. We (Turkey) are in negotiations to join the EU.

"So the strategic partnership between us is nothing new. We have been partners for a long time. No step should be taken to overshadow this partnership," he added. In an interview with the daily Bild, however, Germany´s powerful finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, warned Erdogan that he was "jeopardising the centuries-old partnership between Turkey and Germany". —AFP