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September 3rd, 2017 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Berlin may have to rethink further relations with Ankara following the arrests of two more German citizens in Turkey on Thursday. Merkel said the arrests of Germans in Turkey were politically motivated and stressed that there would be no further discussions about Turkey’s participation in an EU customs union unless the current situation is resolved.
Merkel drawing a red line for Ankara – not only because of upcoming elections in Germany.
Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that Germany already has significantly revamped its ties with Ankara. She added that “perhaps it is necessary to rethink them even further”. Merkel said there would be no further discussions regarding Turkey’s participation in an EU customs union unless the current situation is resolved.
The most recent arrest of the two German nationals in Turkey brings the number arrested due to what Merkel described as “political reasons” to twelve. Four of whom have dual citizenship. Among them are two journalists and a human rights activist. The two arrested on Thursday held only German passports.
German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr, during a news conference on Friday, said that Germany’s consulate in Izmir learned of the two German nationals being arrested from “non-state sources.” The German consulate has not yet been able to contact the two detained persons, she said. “We’re trying to establish what they are charged with. … We must assume that it’s a political charge, suspicion of terrorism, as with the others,” she stressed.
The two German citizens of Turkish origin were detained at Antalya Airport on Thursday. Adebahr’s statement suggests that German authorities learned about the arrest via Turkey’s State-run Anadolou news agency instead of normal official channels. The State news agency reported that Turkish authorities said the arrests were due to alleged links to the US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen who has been accused by Ankara for the 2016 failed military coup attempt. Gülen denies the accusations.
Relations have become increasingly strained between the two NATO allies in the wake of the failed coup attempt in Turkey last year. The German government has been particularly outspoken about the purges and sweeping arrests, including arrests of elected officials like mayors and members of parliament.
People at an anti-Erdogan rally in Denmark, in November 2016. People voting with their feet.
Up to the referendum that led to constitutional change, Berlin also told the AKP government that there’s a difference between party rallies organized by Turkish citizens who have their residence in Germany and “State-organized” pro referendum rallies. Berlin also brushed off Ankara’s interference in internal affairs in Germany when the AKP government criticized Berlin for allowing alleged PKK supporters and “terrorists” to hold rallies in Germany.
Erdogan went as far as blasting the German government for using “Nazi-like tactics” against Ankara. Ironically, Erdogan’s remark came after more and more posters comparing Erdogan and his AKP administration with Nazis and Islamo-fascists.
Disputes between Berlin and Ankara worsened when Ankara refused German lawmakers to visit German troops at the Incirlik Airbase. Germany was using the base for observation flights as German contribution to the international alliance against ISIS. Germany consequently to move their military aircraft and roughly 250 troops from the Incirlik airbase to Jordan in July.
Also in July, the German government urged citizens traveling to Turkey to exercise caution, but Berlin refrained from issuing a formal travel warning. Including the 12 German nationals being detained for “political reasons”, there are now 55 Germans in total being held in Turkey. “Our demands to Turkey are very clear,” German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said on Friday. “We expect Turkey to release the German nationals who were arrested on unjustifiable grounds.”
CH/L – nsnbc 03.09.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/09/03/after-more-arrests-of-germans-in-turkey-merkel-draws-a-red-line-for-turkey-eu-talks/
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