Ankara criticizes German art depicting Erdogan as a dictator
Ankara has slammed an art installation located outside the German Chancellery in Berlin that depicts Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a dictator.
The installation shows a car with a black-and-white banner showing pictures of Erdogan, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Do you want this car? Kill dictatorship," it reads.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said the installment only served to incite violence, while also slamming German police’s lack of intervention.
"The expression on the banner...makes a direct call to violence," said the foreign ministry.
Read More:
- Germany bans Erdogan from addressing ethnic Turks outside G20 summit
- Mass rally held ahead of G20 summit in Hamburg
- Saudi King Salman cancels visit to Germany, skips G20 summit
The incident occurred a few days before Erdogan is set to travel to Germany for a G20 summit, and after German officials rejected a request by the Turkish president to address ethnic Turks in Germany.
Relations have soured between Berlin and Ankara since a failed coup in Turkey in July last year. Germany has repeatedly criticized Turkey for a massive crackdown that was launched right after the coup, saying the action has been carried out beyond the rule of law.
The two countries have also clashed on several other issues, including Germany’s alleged support for Kurdish opponents and a referendum in Turkey last April, which gave Erdogan sweeping new powers.
Germany is home to some three million ethnic Turks. The country allowed in the Turks in the 1960s and 1970s as part of its massive post-war "guest worker" program. Erdogan held his last speech to members of the community in May 2015 in the city of Karlsruhe.
Iraq won’t tolerate violation of its sovereignty, PM tells Erdogan
New Freedom Flotilla to set sail for Gaza in defiance of Israel's naval blockade
Hamas chief meets Erdogan as Turkey tries to mediate in Gaza war
‘Say no to Biden’: US college being pressed not to endorse genocide
VIDEO | UN: Alarming food insecurity crisis grips Afghanistan
VIDEO | Stuck in quagmire
UK suspends legal assessments of Israeli violations in Gaza
Students protest at US universities to urge end in financial ties to Israel
Biden signs war aid bill supplying Israel, Ukraine with more weapons
VIDEO | France, West warn Israel against escalation with Iran
Iran refutes Kuwait’s assertion of exclusive rights to Arash gas field
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
