ISTANBUL/BERLIN – Tayyip Erdogan’s portrayal of a Germany mired in its Nazi past was calculated to infuriate Berlin while swaying Turks at home and abroad to vote “yes” to sweeping new presidential powers he seeks.
Erdogan certainly achieved the first aim, with one German politician dubbing him the “despot on the Bosphorus” and Chancellor Angela Merkel declaring that the remarks only trivialised Nazi crimes against humanity.
“With his foolish and absurd Nazi comparison, Erdogan has left the realm of rational discussion,” Juergen Hardt, a lawmaker from Merkel’s conservative CDU party, said of Erdogan.
“While Germany sticks to democratic standards…President Erdogan is trying to disempower the Turkish parliament through a constitutional change.”
Erdogan’s fury was triggered by decisions to cancel planned rallies in support of his referendum in several German towns.
Events have so far been cancelled in the cities of Gaggenau, Cologne and Frechen, with local authorities or venue operators citing concerns about safety or the size of the crowd. Turkish officials said a fourth event in the town of Kelsterbach was cancelled on Monday.
Merkel has said her federal government played no part in the decisions. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany would allow Turkish politicians to speak, as long as they were open about their intentions, announced them in a timely manner and did not import Turkish conflicts to Germany.
The faithful at Erdogan’s Istanbul rally registered their support for Erdogan’s blustering speech with familiar chants of “Stand up straight! Don’t bow down! The nation is with you!” Continued…
