"These deep differences of opinion relate to basic questions of democracy and the rule of law. They relate to freedom of expression in Turkey. They also relate to the many journalists that have been jailed for expressing their opinion," Merkel said in an address to the German parliament, ahead of a European Council leaders' meeting later in the day. In the speech, Merkel also reiterated her strong objections to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's weekend comment that Germany's Nazi past might not be entirely behind it. "SS comparisons only lead to misery because it means the crimes committed by the National Socialists in Germany are rendered much more harmless than they actually were."

Source: CNN March 09, 2017 12:00 UTC