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Turkish diplomat jumping the ship: German press: 3 Turkish diplomats apply for asylum in Germany

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turkish-deplomatThree Turkish diplomats and a military attaché have applied for asylum in Germany, German media reported on Friday.

A joint report by the Süddeutsche daily, West German Broadcasting Cologne (WDR) and Northern German Broadcasting (NDR) said the passports of eight Turkish diplomats in Germany were revoked over alleged ties to a social movement led by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. The report said three of the eight diplomats have applied for asylum in Germany.

Based on sources from the German Foreign Ministry, the report also mentioned Col. Ayhan Dağlı, Turkey’s military attaché in Berlin, saying that the officer whose whereabouts in Germany are unknown also applied for asylum. His posting to Berlin was approaching an end, and he was expected to return to Turkey.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has yet to make a decision on the asylum applications, but German authorities fear the outbreak of another diplomatic dispute with Turkey as the two countries recently repaired ties. Turkey returned its ambassador to Germany, Hüseyin Avni Karslıoğlu, to Berlin on Friday after a four-month absence from the embassy.

The rest of the German-based diplomats have returned to Turkey, the report said, but added that number of asylum applications may increase.

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/several-turkish-diplomats-apply-for-asylum-in-germany-media/a-35994036

Germany: Böhmermann speaks out after dropped investigation heavily criticized the Erdogan. in video statement and song

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bohmerman-dropped-chargesGerman comedian Jan Böhermann has defended his now infamous “defamatory poem” as a joke in his first statement since the investigation against him was dropped. He also heavily criticized the Turkish government.

In his first statement following German prosecutors dropping charges against him, comedian Jan Böhmermann addressed the international outrage and subsequent investigation following his raunchy poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“It is now officially established, at least provisionally, that this was a joke at heart,” Böhmermann said seated behind a desk in a video uploaded to YouTube. “[The joke] was tasteless for some, while others at that time found it just right.”

He thanked the German public broadcaster ZDF, which hosts his show “Neo Magazine Royale,” for supporting him during the investigation. as well as sardonically praising the Mainz prosecutor for “watching the complete … episode.”

Prosecutors on Tuesday dropped the case against Böhmermann, citing among other reasons, the obviously satirical and exaggerated nature of the poem.

Böhmermann also took aim at the Turkish government in his statement, noting that “compared to what critical journalists, satirists, or opposition members faced at that time and even now, all this fuss about the ‘Böhmermann Affair’ is another big, sad joke.”

He also jabbed at German politicians for the investigation, saying: “If a joke triggers a state crisis, it is not the problem of the joke, but of the state.”

His German-language video statement ended with Böhmermann singing Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” in English. Accompanied by a guitarist, Böhmermann whistled and sang “freedom” as he slowly danced off screen.

Böhmermann’s poem was in response to Turkey summoning the German ambassador over a less lewd song criticizing Erdogan on another satirical show. Ahead of delivering the poem on March 31, Böhmermann said on air that Erdogan clearly couldn’t differentiate between fair criticism and genuine libelous insult – saying this poem would serve as a case study demonstrating the difference.

Erdogan was at the time using a law forbidding insults against the president within Turkey to press more than 2,000 cases against people – although after July’s coup attempt he pledged a mass amnesty for those cases.

Probable appeal

Although prosecutors dropped the charges, the Böhmermann case may not be over yet.

“The president has given his lawyer in Germany the authority to appeal the prosecutors’ decision,” a politician with Erdogan’s AKP party, Mustafa Yeneroglu, told the German daily “Bild” newspaper on Wednesday.

Erdogan’s Munich-based lawyer Michael-Hubertus von Sprenger confirmed to the German dpa news agency that an appeal would be filed within the next 14 days.

The case led to international debates about freedom of speech and calls within Germany for an archaic law, Paragraph 103, about insulting foreign heads of state to be abolished. Germany’s houses of parliament are working on abolishing the law at present. Meanwhile, opposition and coalition parties alike have put pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government to accelerate the process.

“Lese majeste [offending foreign heads of state] is a relic from the last century,” senior Social Democrat Thomas Oppermann said on Wednesday. Therefore the law should be abolished soon, Oppermann urged, saying the current 2018 timetable was not good enough. This sentiment was echoed by the Green party’s federal parliamentary group leader Anton Hofreiter in an interview with the German newspaper the “Saarbrücker Zeitung.” He said Merkel could not let the matter be swept under the carpet.

rs/msh (AFP, dpa)

 

Sargsyan: Armenian-German cooperation is important for our country

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meetingYEREVAN. – The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Wednesday received the delegation led by the Vice President of the German Bundestag, Johannes Singhammer.

The delegation also included the representatives of the Cardinal Höffner Union.

At the outset of the meeting, the Armenian President first congratulated the guests on the Day of German Unity, wishing peace and prosperity to friendly Germany.

President Sargsyan underscored the importance of high-level mutual visits in terms of deepening the Armenian-German bilateral ties. The President was also pleased to recall his visit to Germany in April, in the framework of which he had meetings with the country’s supreme leadership.

Sargsyan expressed hope that the visit of the delegation led by Mr Singhammer to the first Christian country will be productive and full of unforgettable impressions, which will give more persistence to the efforts aimed at strengthening the bilateral ties.

Agreeing that the relations between Armenia and Germany are based on mutual respect and trust, the interlocutors attached significant importance to the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation in strengthening and deepening those ties. The PM expressed satisfaction wit the fact that the Bundestag deputies have recently visited not only Armenia, but also the Nagorno-Karabakh in order to get familiarized with the Karabakh issue on the ground.

Sargsyan also highly appreciated Germany’s stance on the Armenian Genocide condemnation, which was expressed in the Genocide recognition and condemnation resolution adopted by the country’s supreme legislative body.

Reference was also made to Armenia-EU cooperation. Sargsyan stressed that the Armenian-German cooperation is important for Armenia also in the context of relations with the EU, considering the weighty role of Germany in the EU institutions. He thus thanked Germany for its support to Armenia in the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

The interlocutors attached importance to the educational and scientific, as well as cultural cooperation, which has a special role in interstate relations.

Apart from this, the President highly appreciated the years-long financial and technical support provided by Germany for the social and economic development of Armenia.

For his part, Bundestag Vice President Johannes Singhammer thanked the President for the reception and noted that Germany and Armenia share the same values despite not having a common border. In his words, a special feeling links the Germans with the first Armenian state. Singhammer also added that the Armenian Genocide resolution, which stated the historic truth, is aimed at peace, since the truth, according to him, is an important pre-condition for achieving peace.

At the meeting, the interlocutors also touched on the pressing international issues and challenges threatening peace.

Bundestag deputy Christian Haase handed one of the 29 bronze doves cast in 2008, pursuant to the UN human rights provisions.  The dove is handed to those political and state figures, who struggle for peace and especially religious freedoms.

Germany drops Turkey President Erdogan insult case TV comedian Boehmermann’s poem

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boehmermann-erdogan

Satirist Jan Boehmermann poked fun at Turkey’s president in an obscene poem on TV

German prosecutors have dropped an investigation into a TV comedian accused of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The prosecutors in the western city of Mainz said they had not found sufficient evidence to continue the inquiry against Jan Boehmermann.

In March, Boehmermann recited a satirical poem on TV which made sexual references to Mr Erdogan.

Mr Erdogan then filed a complaint alleging that he had been insulted.

In a statement on Tuesday, the prosecutors said that “criminal actions could not be proven with the necessary certainty”.

It was “questionable”, the statement added, whether Boehmermann’s poem constituted slander, given the satirical context in which the comedian recited it.

In April, German Chancellor Angela Merkel Germany said her government would allow the potential prosecution of the comedian, triggering criticism that she did not stand up for free speech.

Under German law, the cabinet had to approve a criminal inquiry.

However, Mrs Merkel added that the authorities would move to repeal the controversial and little-used Article 103 of the penal code, which concerns insults against foreign heads of state, by 2018.

Boehmermann is a satirist and television presenter well-known for pushing the boundaries of German humour.

The poem was broadcast on ZDF television. The comedian was later given police protection.

Mr Erdogan has drawn much criticism in Turkey and internationally for attacking political opponents, including harassment of journalists. Many accuse him of authoritarian methods, stifling legitimate dissent and promoting an Islamist agenda.

A rarely used article of the criminal code

Paragraph 103 of Germany’s penal code, on defamation of organs and representatives of foreign states, has the following to say:

(1) Whosoever insults a foreign head of state, or, with respect to his position, a member of a foreign government who is in Germany in his official capacity, or a head of a foreign diplomatic mission who is accredited in the federal territory shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine, in case of a slanderous insult to imprisonment from three months to five years.

The article dates back to the penal code drafted when the German Empire was formed in 1871, although at that time it just applied to monarchs.

It has been little used in recent years and is colloquially known as the “Shah law” among German lawyers after the Shah of Persia successfully brought a case against a Cologne newspaper in 1964.

A Swiss man living in Bavaria was also prosecuted under the article in 2007, after he posted offensive comments about then Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey on the internet.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37554167?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central

Germany shuts Ankara embassy amid fear of attack by Erdogan supporters

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germany-close-embassyGermany has temporarily closed its embassy in Ankara, reportedly because of fears of an attack. Turks are said to be outraged by a German magazine’s depiction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a dictator.

Germany closed its embassy in Turkey on Wednesday, along with all other consular offices in Turkey, with reports that officials feared the buildings might come under attack.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed that its embassy and consular offices – including the main consulate in Istanbul – would be closed from September 12 to September 16. However, the ministry did not comment on the cause.

Germany’s “Bild” newspaper reported that the decision had been taken as a precaution after the German Foreign Ministry learned that mob attacks were likely during the Eid al-Adha religious holiday. Public outrage in Turkey was said to be brewing over the depiction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the latest edition of German news magazine “Der Spiegel.”

Minarets to rockets

The Turkish government accused the weekly of giving a distorted view of the country in its “Focus on Turkey” special edition. Ankara accused Spiegel of prejudice and said the front page was “particularly provocative.”

In a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said the cover, published during Eid, sought to create “a negative image not only about Turkey but also Islam.”

 

The front page features a stone-faced Erdogan wearing sunglasses as the minarets from Istanbul’s Blue Mosque appear to have been transformed into military rockets lifting off into the air. Under the main title “Hotspot Turkey,” is the strapline, “A land loses its freedom.”

At the bottom of the page, a teaser for one of the magazine’s stories is titled simply “The Dictator.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry described the magazine’s publishing policy as “far from being responsible,” saying that it was “the clear and latest example of an anti-Turkey approach.”

“We regretfully condemn the attempts… to smear Mr. President,” it added, urging an end to efforts to tarnish Turkey’s image.

Turkish and German relations have been tested lately, with Turkey having barred German parliamentarians from visiting the Incirlik airbase over a Bundestag resolution that declared the massacre of Armenians during World War I to have been “genocide.” The ban was later lifted after the German government pointed out that the resolution was not legally binding.

The German government also complained last week about the confiscation of DW’s interview footage with Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Akif Cagatay Kilic. The minister had been asked about the July coup attempt in Turkey, which was followed by a harsh crackdown on opponents of Erdogan.

rc/sms (dpa, AFP, Reuters)

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/germany-shuts-ankara-embassy-amid-fear-of-attack-by-erdogan-supporters/a-19553393

Terrorist State of Turkey confiscated Video footage following DW interview with Minister Kilic

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dw video footage confiscatedImmediately following the recording of a television interview with the Turkish minister of youth and sports, Akif Cagatay Kilic, for DW’s talk show “Conflict Zone,” Turkish authorities confiscated the video footage. The interview with DW host Michel Friedman took place in Ankara yesterday evening, September 5.

Immediately following the recording of a television interview with the Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports, Akif Kilic, for DW’s talk show, Conflict Zone, Turkish authorities confiscated the video footage. The interview with DW host Michel Friedman took place in Ankara on the evening of September 5.
The interview at the ministry of youth and sports in Ankara included questions which had been divulged to the ministry in advance.

Host Michel Friedman asked about the coup attempt in July as well as the mass layoffs and arrests that took place in its aftermath. He asked about the media situation in Turkey as well as the position of women in Turkish society. The minister was asked to further explain several quotes made by President Erdogan regarding these subjects.

Immediately following the interview, the minister excused himself. As soon as he had left the room, the minister’s press officer announced that DW would not be allowed to broadcast the interview. When Friedman and his editorial colleague protested, the video material was confiscated by employees of the Turkish ministry of youth and sports. It was made clear to the TV crew that they would not be able to leave the ministry in possession of the video footage.

DW protests confiscation

DW Director General Peter Limbourg spoke out about the behavior of the Turkish authorities today. He said: “This incident is proof of a blatant violation of press freedom in Turkey. What we are experiencing constitutes an act of the Turkish regime’s coercion. It no longer follows the rule of law and has nothing to do with democracy. It cannot be that a minister willingly responds to an interview and then tries to block the transmission in such a manner just because he did not like the questions posed. We are requesting the Turkish authorities to return the video material straightaway and we will consider our legal options.”

Immediately following the incident, DW appealed to the Turkish ministry of youth and sports as well as to the Turkish directorate-general for press and information and demanded the release of the video material. A deadline set for today at noon local time expired without any response. During several phone conversations with representatives of the ministry of youth and sports this morning, Deutsche Welle repeatedly requested the video footage. The response has remained unchanged: the ministry is not in agreement with the broadcasting of the interview.

In his statement made to DW’s Turkish language department Übeydullah Yener, press officer of the Sport Minister said “There was no authorisation for the interview. The questions asked were not the ones that were planned. Mr. Friedman himself knows exactly why this happened. Some statements were right out allegations. In such a situation, there was no authorization granted.”

 Source: http://www.dw.com/en/video-footage-confiscated-by-turkish-officials-following-interview-with-minister-kilic/a-19529946

Angela Merkel’s government says it has PROOF Turkey is SUPPORTING Islamic State AND Hamas

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Turkey-supporting isis

As well as ISIS, Turkey has been accused of supporting Hamas

TURKEY has been accused of supporting the Islamic State and other Islamist groups across the Middle East, a leaked German government report has claimed.

By CHARLIE PEAT PUBLISHED:  Wed, Aug 17, 2016 | UPDATED: 

The document, produced by Angela Merkel’s Interior Ministry, claims president Erdogan’s government also supports Palestinian Hamas, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood as well as other extremist groups in Syria.

The damning report, seen by German media, said: “The many expressions of solidarity and support actions by the ruling AKP and president Erdogan for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and groups of armed Islamist opposition in Syria emphasise their ideological affinity with the broader Muslim Brotherhood.”

The revelation will send tensions between Germany and Ankara into meltdown following a series of spats in the wake of the failed military coup in Turkey last month.

Hamas is an EU and US listed terrorist organisation and it is the first time Germany has made a link between the terror cell and Turkey.

Ankara has also deepened its ties with the depraved groups and has become a “platform for action” in the region, according to the report.

The report adds: “As a result of the step-by-step Islamisation of its foreign and domestic policy since 2011, Turkey has become the central platform for action by Islamist groups in the Middle East.”

Left-wing party Die Linke made the confidential request to the Bundestag, the German parliament, which was leaked to broadcaster ARD.

Lawmaker and member of the party, Sevim Dagdalen, said: “The German government cannot publicly designate the godfather of terrorism Erdogan as a partner, while internally warning about Turkey as a hub for terrorism.”

He also criticised German officials for blocking his appearance via a live video stream at a rally in Cologne last month.

He added: “The European Union is not behaving in a sincere manner with Turkey.

“If our demands are not satisfied then the readmissions will no longer be possible.”

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/700826/Angela-Merkel-Turkey-Erdogan-Islamic-State-ISIS-Daesh-Hamas-Germany

Germany: Kurdish rally ‘against Turkish dictatorship and for equality’ gathers in Cologne

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kurd-protestA rally of 30,000 people from Kurdish communities across Germany has been organized in Cologne to protest the policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and to call for an end to attacks in Syria.

Under the banner “Against Dictatorship and For Equality” a number of Kurdish organizations have organized a rally Saturday in the western German city of Cologne.

Groups including the Democratic Social Center of Kurdish people in Germany” (Nav-Dem) have condemned what they called Erdogan’s “dictatorial approach” in Turkey following the failed coup attempt in July.

Police were out in force in Cologne to monitor the rally and announced they would intervene to prevent what they called “illegal propaganda.” By mid-day a police spokesman said the situation remained calm.

Rally participants also oppose the state of emergency imposed in Turkey following the failed July 15 coup and the arrests of tens of thousands of people suspected of involvement.

They also condemned the Turkish army attacks on Kurdish militia in Syria.

A number of people carried banners with the portrait of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). The European Union and the United States both regard the PKK as a terrorist organization. It has been banned in Germany since 1993.

Leader of the Left party, Bernd Riexinger, is due to address the rally. He again called for the lifting of the PKK ban. He said the “complete isolation” of Ocalan was not correct. He said the leader should instead be involved in negotiations between Kurdish groups and the Turkish government to bring about a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

jm/sms (epd, dpa)

Germany Armenians outraged by Berlin view on genocide

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outrageChancellor Angela Merkel stated that the German government does not distance itself from the Bundestag resolution on Armenian Genocide recognition.

Merkel noted this on Friday, speaking with the German RTL Television. She “categorically denies” all other allegations, reported the German Deutsche Welle (DW) TV and radio company.

But moreover, according to the Chancellor, no resolution should be considered “legally binding,” as they are solely political positions.

Samwel Lulukyan, a representative of the Central Council of Armenians in Germany, however, harshly criticized this stance of Berlin.

“This is even beyond refusal,” Lulukyan told the Rheinische Post newspaper. “This is disgraceful and chaotic.”

He also asked how can an Armenian Genocide resolution not be legally binding, and he called this “wordplay.”

Raffi Kantian, Chairman of the German-Armenian Society, also expressed a similar view. Among other things, he expressed concern that, now, German schools will have less chance to discuss the Armenian Genocide, whereas the said Bundestag resolution advises the contrary.

This view of Berlin, however, has received a positive reaction within the Turkish government circles.

Terrorist State of Turkey Will Permit German MPs at Incirlik if Bundestag deny #ArmenianGenocide

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Armenian genocide germanyAfter banning a delegation of high-ranking German officials from entering Incirlik Air Base in July, Turkey now says that German parliament members can enter if the country amends its stance on some of the darker points of the country’s history. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that a German delegation would be allowed on the Incirlik Air Base if “Germany takes the necessary steps.”He didn’t specify what these steps should be at first, but the officials were denied entry after Germany passed a resolution declaring the 1915 mass killing of millions of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire (current day Turkey) as “genocide.” 

Cavusoglu’s insistence that people who “manipulate” the history of Turkey “in an unfair manner” would not be allowed on the base lent credence to the notion that the resolution concerning the Armenian Genocide is at the root of the issue. On Monday the Turkish government confirmed that “necessary steps” would entail the German government renouncing the resolution, and then declaring that they do not support it.

The blockage caused some German MPs to call for the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, to pull their troops from the base and shift operations to another locale. Cem Özdemir, co-leader of Germany’s Green Party said, “As lawmakers who send soldiers to places, we must know where they are, how they are and be able to talk to the soldiers…If that is not possible in Turkey, then the soldiers must come back to Germany.” 

In This Video How Turkish despotic Ruler Erdogan simultaneously Blackmail EU, U.S. Russia.