Germany abetting terrorists, reviving Nazism: Turkey’s Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Germany of supporting terrorists and reviving Nazism as tensions heighten between the two sides over the cancellation of pro-Erdogan rallies in the European country.

“At present, Germany is abetting terrorists. I speak frankly. And they go crazy when I say ‘They resurrected Nazism.’ Why are you going crazy? That’s what you are doing,” Erdogan said in an interview with broadcaster A Haber late on Tuesday.
Turkey’s dispute with the European Union erupted in March after several EU member states, notably Germany and the Netherlands, blocked Turkish ministers from holding rallies to secure a ‘Yes’ vote in the April 16 referendum on expanding Erdogan’s powers, citing public safety concerns.

Erdogan accused the European countries of acting like “Nazis” and giving sanctuary to terrorists who back Kurdish forces and last July’s failed military coup.

“You will harbor and feed thousands of PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] members; I will give you 4,500 cases and you will examine these cases but won’t hand them over to me. But then you will come and will ask one agent-terrorist from me,” Erdogan said, referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s call for the release of Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yucel.