The German
government on Monday rejected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comparison of
current German policies to the Nazi era, urged both sides to stay "calm
and level-headed" and not lose sight of the close ties that bind the two
NATO allies.
"We
firmly reject any comparisons between the policies of the democratic Federal
Republic of Germany and the Nazi times," government spokesman Steffen
Seibert told a regular government news conference. "Such comparisons are
always absurd and out of place because they lead to only to one thing: a
trivialization of crimes against humanity."
Seibert said
Germany would continue to allow Turkish politicians to speak in Germany as long
as they were open about their intentions and did not import Turkish conflicts
to Germany. He also said the European Union should investigate to ensure that
funds paid to Turkey to pave the way for its accession to the EU were achieving
their intended purpose.
*REUTERS*
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