The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Ankara following cancelation of Turkish ministers’ meetings with Turkish community members in Germany.
Ambassador Martin Erdmann was received by the deputy secretary responsible for European affairs, Mehmet Kemal Bozay. Turkey’s written démarche was also delivered to Erdmann.
The German authorities in the southern German town of Gaggenau controversially withdrew permission earlier on the same day for an event where Turkey’s Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ would have met with Turkish citizens in a rally.
Bozdağ was scheduled to meet the Turkish community in Gaggeneau and deliver a speech, where he was expected to address the crowd about the upcoming referendum on April 16 for the proposed constitutional amendments in Turkey. An event that was organized by the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD).
In a statement released by the city of Gaggenau, it was stated that the event was canceled due to security-related concerns and the limited capacity of the hall where the event would have been held. Gaggenau Mayor Michael Pfeiffer said the decision was not a political one.
Meanwhile, according to the German Press Agency (DPA), an official from the city of Cologne said an event on March 5, where Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci would be holding a rally through the UETD, has also been canceled. “There was no agreement for March 5, and there will not be,” the official reportedly told the DPA.
German politicians have recently voiced opposition against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) officials holding rallies in Germany.
