Turkey warns citizens in Germany ahead of elections

German Political parties’ electoral campaign posters are seen on the billboards ahead of the general elections which will be held 24th of September this year, at the Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Berlin, Germany on September 03, 2017 [Cüneyt Karadağ / Anadolu Agency]

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued Saturday a warning for its citizens visiting or living in Germany ahead of the country’s federal elections on September 24.

In a statement on its official website, the ministry warned Turkish citizens to “be careful” and keep their composure against “racist and xenophobic slurs.” The ministry said:

It is advised for our citizens in Germany or planning to visit this country to be even-tempered, keep themselves out of political discussions and absent themselves from rallies held by terrorist groups ahead of the elections

The ministry said political leaders in Germany are basing their election campaigns on anti-Turkey rhetoric and the aim of blocking Turkey from becoming a member of the European Union.

Read: Turkey should not become EU member, Merkel tells TV debate

“The political atmosphere in the aforementioned country is under the influence of far-right and racist propaganda,” it added., along with:

“It is worrying that a chancellor-candidate political leader in Germany has recently made statements including clear racist elements and German officials took no measure about it.

Turkey’s ties with Germany and several other EU states have deteriorated sharply this year. Points of dispute have included the barring of Turkish politicians from holding campaign rallies in EU countries ahead of an April referendum, and concerns over the powers granted to Erdogan in the closely fought plebiscite.

Turkey has also restricted access for German parliamentarians seeking to visit German troops at the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, leading Berlin to announce it was moving those forces out of Turkey. It has also detained several German nationals, including journalist Deniz Yucel.

Turkey says it has sent Germany an extradition request for one of the main suspects it says was behind an attempted military coup in July 2016. More than 50,000 people have been arrested and 150,000 have been suspended or sacked in a security crackdown since the failed putsch.

Read: Turkey’s Erdogan says Berlin relations to improve after German election

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