Turkey summons German envoy over treatment of Turkish lawmaker

Turkey’s foreign ministry summoned the German ambassador to Ankara today, ministry sources said, hours after President Tayyip Erdogan criticised the treatment of a senior ruling party lawmaker by police at Cologne airport.

Deputy parliament speaker Aysenur Bahcekapili was temporarily held at the German airport due a problem with her passport on Monday, according to the Hurriyet newspaper.

In a speech earlier today, Erdogan said Turkey would “retaliate in kind” if the officers involved were not probed.

German-Turkish relations have been strained over a series of issues, including Berlin’s criticism of mass arrests in Turkey and Ankara’s treatment of the media, and charges by Turkey that Germany is a safe haven for the Kurdish militant PKK group.