Turkey slams Merkel and rival for anti-Turkish rhetoric
ISTANBUL — Turkish officials have denounced German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz, her main opponent in this month’s general election, for their anti-Turkish rhetoric during a televised debate.
Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for the Turkish presidency, said in a tweet Monday that Merkel and her Social Democratic Party rival were seeking to divert attention from urgent issues in their country and in Europe, such as a surge in discrimination and racism.
In Sunday’s debate, Schulz said he would seek to end long-running but currently stalled talks on Turkey joining the EU over what he perceived to be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian policies.
Merkel, who has previously expressed doubts about Turkey ever joining the EU, refused to commit firmly to the same move, which would have to be agreed among EU members. But she sharply criticized Erdogan’s rule, saying: “Turkey is departing from all democratic practices at breakneck speed.”