Turkey accuses Germany's foreign minister of copying 'racists, far right'

Omer Celik has accused Sigmar Gabriel of copying the "far-right and racists" in his statements in an ongoing diplomatic crisis with Turkey.

MENA

3 min read

The New Arab & agencies

23 August, 2017

The row between Ankara and Berlin is showing no signs of slowing down [Getty]

Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik Wednesday accused German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel of copying the "far-right and racists" in his statements in an ongoing diplomatic crisis with Turkey.

"Gabriel is not making original statements. He speaks by 'copying' from the far-right and racists," Celik wrote on Twitter in a tirade of 29 tweets criticising Gabriel and his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz.

"It can be seen that the German foreign minister has reached the same level as the refugee enemy and symbol of racist politics: the Austrian foreign minister," Celik said in another tweet.

4) Gabriel orjinal açıklamalar yapmıyor. Aşırı sağdan ve ırkçılardan "kopya" çekerek konuşuyor.
— Ömer Çelik (@omerrcelik) August 23, 2017

Translation: Gabriel is not making original explanations. He speaks by pulling "copy"
from the extreme right and racists

19) Alman dışişleri bakanının, göçmen düşmanı ve ırkçı siyasetin sembolü Avusturya dışişleri bakanı ile aynı seviyeye geldiği görüldü artık

— Ömer Çelik (@omerrcelik) August 23, 2017

Translation: The German foreign minister is now seen as the symbol of the enemy of immigration and
racist politics, at the same level as the Austrian foreign minister

Austria, like Germany, has previously been locked into a bitter spat with Turkey.

Last month, Vienna blocked Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci from entering the country to attend a rally marking the anniversary of last year's failed coup attempt.

Celik said attacks by "racists, fascists and enemies of Islam" against Turkey or President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meant "nothing" to Ankara.

The Turkish minister accused Gabriel of trying to "sabotage" Turkey-EU relations and "giving racists a message of 'you're right'".

Gabriel on Tuesday said Erdogan's strident style "had apparently led some to feel motivated to try to threaten and harass my wife".

The row between Ankara and Berlin is showing no signs of slowing down as both sides make tit-for-tat remarks against each other following comments made by the Turkish head of state.

Erdogan last week urged ethnic Turks in Germany to vote in September 24 elections against German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and two other parties he labelled "enemies of Turkey".

Gabriel said at the time that Erdogan wanted to incite people in Germany against each other in "an unprecedented act of interference in the sovereignty of our country".

Kurz on Sunday condemned "the constant interference by Erdogan in the internal affairs of other states," and suggested Germany was not the only country where Turkey interfered.

Turkey repeatedly claims Germany, home to three million ethnic Turks, is sheltering Kurdish militants and wanted coup plotters.

Erdogan himself hit back at Gabriel personally at the weekend, telling him: "Know your limits."