Turkey defiant in the face of Germany’s reaction against Erdoğan

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s criticism of a leading Turkish-origin German politician is “natural,” because he used his “right to reply,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry has suggested.

Erdoğan’s “right to reply” came into question after Berlin expressed its “dismay” to the Turkish ambassador over disparaging remarks Erdoğan made about the German opposition leader.

Turkey’s Ambassador to Germany Hüseyin Avni Karslıoğlu had been “invited” to the German Foreign Ministry late May 28 “to express our dismay about comments from the Turkish government,” a German diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on May 30.

A statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry followed this disclosure, underlining the existing intense bilateral relations between the two countries have also been leading up to certain questions, as well as opportunities of cooperation.

“On this ground where policies mutually influence and shape each other, in the case of expressing views by a politician in Germany regarding discourses and policies of Turkish politicians, it is natural for Turkish politicians to use their right to reply,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said in a written statement released late on May 31.

The spokesperson’s statement came in the form of an official response to a journalist’s question.

“Thinking that Turkish politicians will leave these criticisms unanswered through assuming a passive stance is not in line with a democratic approach,” Bilgiç concluded.

Amid heightened tensions between Ankara and Berlin, Erdoğan complained to deputies from his ruling Justice and...