Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on the Turkish President’s comments regarding the German elections

Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement today (18 August) on the comments by Turkey’s President Erdogan concerning the German Bundestag elections:

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This blatant interference in the German election campaign shows that Erdogan wants to incite people in Germany against each other. This is an unprecedented act of interference in our country’s sovereignty.

I call on everyone in Germany to take a resolute stand against this attempt to stir people in this country up against each other. In particular, I would ask those who have their roots in Turkey but have a German passport to take part in the Bundestag elections and to cast their vote for a democratic party. Let us show those who want to play us off against each other that we refuse to go along with this scurrilous game!

Regardless of our origins, regardless of our passport: we are all citizens of a free and democratic country. In Germany, everyone – no matter where their roots lie – can find what Erdogan is trying to destroy in Turkey: freedom, the rule of law and democracy. We will all stand shoulder to shoulder to defend that. No matter where we come from.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2017/170817_BM_T%C3%BCrkei.html?nn=479796