Photo: DPAEU-Turkey relations have been severely hit by actions taken by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday. "The developments over the past weeks have severely hit German-Turkish ties as well as European-Turkish relations," she told parliament, saying in particular that Ankara's arrest and treatment of German newspaper correspondent Deniz Yucel was "incompatible with a constitutional state". He is being held in solitary confinement and Germany has been allowed to make only one consular visit so far. Merkel also voiced concerns that an April 16th referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers was not held under fair conditions. Relations between NATO allies Germany and Turkey have plunged over disputes related to last July's failed coup and a subsequent crackdown on alleged conspirators.

Source: The Local April 27, 2017 08:37 UTC