Bekir

Some 4,000 judges and prosecutors have been dismissed as part of a probe against the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) since the July 15, 2016, coup attempt, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said May 26.

"More than 4,000 judges and prosecutors were removed from the profession due to membership, contact or affiliation with FETÖ in the Turkish judiciary," Bozdağ said.

The arrest of a top Turkish banker in the United States on charges of participating in a multi-year scheme to evade sanctions against Iran was a "completely political" move, senior Turkish officials have said, as the details of the FBI file in the case were revealed. 

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has penned a letter to his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, in response to an earlier letter by Maas that demanded the release of jailed Die Welt reporter Deniz Yücel.

Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci met with the local Turkish community on March 5 at an event in the city of Cologne.        

The meeting comes ahead of the April 16 referendum on constitutional amendments, including the shift to an executive presidency from the current parliamentary system.

With Turkey embroiled in a row with Germany over the latter's decision to ban Turkish ministers from holding events in two German cities, the Netherlands has irked Turkish officials by taking a similar stance.

Former main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) chair and current Antalya deputy Deniz Baykal has canceled his planned attendance at meetings in Germany, amid continued tension between Ankara and Berlin over the cancelation of Turkish ministers' meetings.

German Justice Minister has penned a letter to Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ over Berlin's decision to ban Turkish ministers from holding events in two German cities ahead of the April 16 constitutional referendum that will decide whether the current parliamentary system should be shifted to an executive presidency.

Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency has reported that a high school in the western German city of Wuppertal has banned Muslim students from publicly praying in the school building.

The Johannes Rau all-day high school asked teachers on Feb. 16 to issue a "friendly warning" to students performing prayers in the building, a leaked  document circulated on social media has revealed.        

Top Turkish government officials have slammed the decision of Gaggenau and Cologne city authorities to revoke permission for scheduled rallies by Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci to address the Turkish community in Germany.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned German Ambassador to Ankara Martin Erdmann, over the cancellation of a meeting between Turkey's justice minister and Turkish citizens in Germany on March 2, according to a ministry source.