Off the wire
• Ghana to spend 12 bln USD in 2017 annual budget  • Interview: Egypt's 1st female governor proud of women's rising role  • World food prices edge higher in Feb.: FAO  • EU proposes simpler food safety rules for small retailers  • China to work with Namibia in poaching crackdown  • German shares close flat Thursday  • Fighting in Iraq's Mosul causing record displacement: IOM  • Foreign exchange rate of Euro to other currencies  • Nearly 900 suspects arrested in Interpol anti-wildlife trafficking operation  • Egypt's Sisi, Germany's Merkel discuss illegal migration, terrorism  
You are here: 　 Home

Turkey summons German ambassador over cancelled meeting in Germany

Xinhua, March 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Ankara on Thursday, following the cancelation of Turkish Justice Minister's meeting in Germany.

German Ambassador Martin Erdmann was received by the deputy secretary responsible for European affairs, Mehmet Kemal Bozay, and a written démarche was also delivered to Erdmann, Daily Sabah reported.

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag was scheduled to deliver a speech in a meeting organized by the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD) in the southern German town of Gaggenau.

He was expected to meet with Turkish community members in a rally and address about the upcoming referendum on April 16 for the proposed constitutional amendments in Turkey, Daily Sabah reported.

However, the meeting was canceled due to security concerns and incapacity problems by Germany. Gaggenau Mayor Michael Pfeiffer said the decision was not a political one.

The German-Turkish relationship has been strained over several issues since this week.

On Monday, a Istanbul court formally arrested Deniz Yucel, a journalist of German newspaper Die Welt. He was charged over propaganda in support of a terrorist organization and inciting public violence.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the decision "disappointing" and "disproportionate." Germany summons Turkish ambassador to Berlin over the journalist's arrest on Tuesday. Endit