Germany, EU blasting Turkey and Erdoğan reflects Europe's narrowing horizon: Presidential spokesperson 

The stance adopted by Germany and other European countries "attacking Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan" is a reflection of Europe's "narrowing horizon," presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said on Sept. 4.

His comments came one day after a televised debate between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democrat (SPD) challenger Martin Schulz ahead of the country's Sept. 24 federal election, in which both candidates adopted a hardened tone over Ankara's EU membership prospects. 

Kalın tweeted that the fact that Turkey and President Erdoğan were dominant topics during the debate "is not a coincidence."

"The fact that Germany and Europe are attacking Turkey and Erdoğan, disregarding their fundamental and urgent problems, is a reflection of Europe's narrowing horizon," he tweeted.

"The anti-Turkey thoughts in Europe have become a tool of relief through creating an enemy 'other' and postponing the fundamental problems," he added.

"The fact that mainstream German politics has submitted to populism and otherizing-antagonizing will only fuel discrimination and racism," Kalın said, adding that societies that "identify themselves through an enemy other will never find their own identity."

He also claimed that it "does not much matter" who wins the German election, as the "mentality adopted to win the vote is obvious."   

"The fact that Merkel and Schulz never touched on discrimination and increasing racism throughout the debate shows the point to which German politics has reached," Kalın said.

"We hope this problematic atmosphere, which sacrifices Turkish-German relations to a narrow political horizon, will change soon," he said.

During the debate, Merkel she would seek an end...