Campaign rallies: Turkish foreign minister warns Germany of consequences

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Warning

Istanbul, March 3, 2017 (dpa/NAN) Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday warned the German government of “consequences” as a row between the nations worsens over campaign rallies in Germany by Turkish government officials.

“If you want to work with us you will have to learn how to behave towards us.

“You will have to think of the consequences, you are not first class and Turkey second class,” Cavosuglu said.

The German town of Gaggenau, in the south-west, had forbidden a planned appearance of the Turkish Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag.

The local authorities cited security reasons and stretched capacity for the cancellation of the rally in support of an upcoming referendum aimed at boosting the powers of Turkish President Recep Erdogan.

Turkey summoned the German ambassador in Ankara for talks in response, after a number of officials expressed their outrage over the decision.

The cancellation comes against the backdrop of renewed strains in relations between Ankara and Berlin most recently, over the arrest of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel in Turkey.

Yucel was charges of spreading terrorist propaganda he however pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Turkish ambassador was asked in for consultations with the German foreign ministry after Yucel was formally remanded in custody, following nearly two weeks in detention.

There have been protests across Germany calling for his release.

Turkey is to hold a referendum on April 16 on expanding the powers of Erdogan.

Out of about three million Turks living in Germany roughly half are eligible to vote. (dpa/NAN)

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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Sadiya Hamza