The German government increased pressure on Turkey Thursday after the jailing of a human rights activist, telling all citizens traveling there to exercise caution and threatening to withhold backing for German investments in Turkey. While Germany stopped short of more drastic immediate action, his statement marked a shift to a more hawkish public stance. Ankara rejects complaints about the jailing of German Peter Steudtner and five other activists accused of links to terror groups. Berlin was alarmed because Steudtner has no previous links to Turkey and yet was still accused of links to terror, which Germany says are far-fetched. "We strongly condemn statements that German citizens who travel to Turkey are not safe and that German companies in Turkey have hesitations and concerns," Ibrahim Kalin said.

Source: ABC News July 20, 2017 08:11 UTC