Turkey regrets Germany’s move to accept asylum requests
Turkey has criticized Germany for granting political asylum to a group of military personnel, whom Ankara accuses of involvement in a failed coup last year.
"The German decision is a step that is not in line with the spirit of alliance and multi-faced relations between our countries," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, after reports in German media suggested that Berlin had OK’d the asylum petitions of Turkish nationals holding diplomatic passports.
Germany has yet to confirm the move, which media reports suggest could cover more than 400 military personnel, diplomats, judges and other high-ranking Turkish officials and their family members.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry urged Germany to review the decision, saying “accepting asylum requests of some former military personnel" linked with Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric blamed for orchestrating the coup bid, would mean "tolerating and embracing a pro-coup mentality.”
Turkey launched a massive crackdown following the July 15 coup attempt. The action has mostly targeted followers of Gulen, an opposition cleric who has denied any involvement in the coup.
Germany and several other Western governments have repeatedly criticized the arrests and dismissals from work of more than 100,000 people, saying Ankara has acted beyond the rule of law.
Turkey defends the crackdown and insists that European governments have failed to properly condemn the coup.
Ankara also accuses Berlin of giving sanctuary to outlawed Kurdish militants and allowing their sympathizers to stage anti-Turkey rallies and demonstrations across Germany.
Relations between Germany and Turkey hit a new low during a Turkish referendum in April, which was meant to boost President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers while the two countries have also clashed over the arrest of a Turkish journalist working for a major German daily.
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