- Title: Turkey's Erdogan rails against agents, embargo threats, fuelling Germany dispute
- Date: 25th July 2017
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (JULY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SHAKING HANDS WITH OFFICIALS OF AK PARTY ON STAGE AND SALUTING THE CROWD LEGISLATORS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING: "You will not allow the president of Turkey and its ministers to speak in your country, but your agents will roam in my hotels and parcel out my nation, is that so? There can be no such thing. Either you will respect our conditions of sovereignty and be our partners and allies under equal and fair terms, or you will receive the answer for all your disrespect." LEGISLATORS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING: "They say it is the judiciary's work when it comes to the terrorists they harbour in their country. And those who say that turn things into diplomatic crises when we catch their agents red-handed." LEGISLATORS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING: "Why does an act that is considered as a crime when carried out in Germany and United States become a matter of rights and freedom when it is done in Turkey? They are not carrying out the battle righteously, they are turning things to other matters, especially economy and reveal their true faces." LEGISLATORS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING: "If you try to threaten us with this you will be mistaken and you will lose." LEGISLATORS APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRESIDENT, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING: "I am sorry but those who reciprocally carried out history's merciless, bloodiest and the most violent massacre during World War One and Two should not lecture us on humanity." LEGISLATORS APPLAUDING ERDOGAN AND LAWMAKERS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 8th August 2017 14:40
- Keywords: Germany row President Tayyip Erdogan parliament speech judiciary NATO ally Western agents roaming free
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
- City: ANKARA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016R7S2TJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan stoked a dispute with NATO ally Germany on Tuesday (July 25), warning of Western agents "roaming free" in Turkey and said those who threaten the country with embargoes should be prepared for the consequences.
Relations between the major trading partners deteriorated after Turkey arrested 10 rights activists, including one German, three weeks ago as part of a wider crackdown since last year's failed coup against Erdogan.
A Turkish prosecutor has accused them of links to the network of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for last year's attempted coup.
Turkey says that Germany shelters Kurdish and far-leftists militants as well as people linked to the attempted coup. Berlin rejects the accusations.
Germany has increased pressure on Turkey in the past few days, threatening measures that could hinder German investment there and saying it is reviewing Turkish applications for arms projects.
Ankara has sought to limit fallout from the row, dropping a request for Germany to help it investigate hundreds of German companies it said could have links to terrorism and Erdogan said Germany companies investing in Turkey did not face difficulties. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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