Turkey president accuses Germany’s Merkel of “supporting terrorists”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pointing accusing fingers at German Chancellor Angela Merkel claiming she is “harboring and supporting terrorists”.

Erdogan’s comments are coming just hours after EU urged the Turkish President to halt inflammatory rhetoric against European leaders.

In his comments, Erdogan did not cite specifics, but made references to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group deemed a “terrorist organisation” by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

“Mrs Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country? Why are you not doing anything?” Erdogan said. “Mrs Merkel, you are supporting terrorists.”

Read also: We’ll retaliate in the ‘harshest of ways’, Erdogan tells Netherlands after expulsion of minister

However, German Chancellor Merkel described Erdogan’s accusations as “clearly absurd” after he made the comments in an interview with Turkey’s A Haber TV.

“The chancellor has no intention of taking part in a game of provocation,” Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a brief written statement.

Days ago, Erdogan said “Nazism is still widespread in the West” after the Netherlands joined other European countries worried about political tensions inside Turkey spilling beyond its borders that have prevented Turkish politicians from holding rallies.

 

 

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now