Germany vows to overhaul Turkey relations amid tensions
Germany has vowed a full "overhaul" of its troubled ties with Turkey, signaling its patience has snapped after Ankara's arrests of human rights activists.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in Berlin on Thursday that Germany would review state guarantees for foreign investment in Turkey and would urge businesses against putting their money there. Gabriel said that Berlin would also review its support for EU financial flows to the long-time aspirant to membership of the bloc.
Experts say these stinging measures will strongly impact tourism and investment in Turkey.
Gabriel also delivered his unusually strong comments towards Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He accused Erdogan of worsening a crisis that Berlin had repeatedly sought to ease through dialogue. Gabriel also blamed Erdogan for trying to muzzle "every critical voice" with mass arrests in sweeping crackdowns since the failed coup against him just over a year ago.
The top German diplomat said that Turkey, having long seen itself as "a member of the European family," had leveled Nazi jibes at Germany.
Gabriel, however, stressed that Berlin still wanted to rebuild relations with Ankara, while urging Erdogan's administration "to return to European values."
Turkey and Germany have been locked in a number of diplomatic disputes, including Turkey’s way of handling the aftermath of a failed coup in July last year, which has sparked massive criticism in Germany.
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