German spying on Turkey 'must end'

‘If the allegations are true, then Germany must explain,’ Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The Turkish foreign ministry summoned the German ambassador in Ankara, Eberhard Pohl Monday morning to explain allegations in the German media that the German intelligence agency has been spying on Turkey for the past five years.

If true, the activities should end “immediately” said the ministry.

According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the chairman of the Bundestag’s Committee on Internal Affairs, Wolfgang Bosbach (CDU) said there are some “good reasons” to spy on Turkey.

He referred to the activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as well as left and right-wing Turkish groups in Germany. Also, the newspaper mentioned that drug trafficking smuggling and “the direct affect of the tensions in Syria and Iraq border, where some German military is also stationed” is a factor.

The ministry issued a statement; “It should be known that this issue can hurt the alliance between Turkey and Germany who fight against the threats and implementations that endanger the international safety and stability”.