Turkey accuses Germany´s Gabriel of copying ´racists, far right´

[SoRrY.]

ANKARA: Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik on Wednesday accused German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel of copying the "far right and racists" in his statements on a festering diplomatic crisis with Turkey.

"Gabriel is not making original statements. He speaks by ´copying´ from the far right and racists," Celik wrote on Twitter in a tirade of 29 tweets criticising Gabriel and his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz.

"It can be seen that the German foreign minister has reached the same level as the refugee enemy and symbol of racist politics: the Austrian foreign minister," Celik said in another tweet.

Austria, like Germany, has previously been locked in a bitter spat with Turkey. 

Last month, Vienna blocked Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci from entering the country to attend a rally marking the anniversary of last year´s failed coup attempt.

Celik said attacks by "racists, fascists and enemies of Islam" against Turkey or President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meant "nothing" to Ankara.

He accused Gabriel of trying to "sabotage" Turkey-EU relations and "giving racists a message of ´you´re right´".
Gabriel on Tuesday said Erdogan´s strident style "had apparently led some to feel motivated to try to threaten and harass my wife".

- Worsening relations -

The dispute between Ankara and Berlin is showing no signs of easing as both sides make tit-for-tat remarks against each other following comments made by the Turkish head of state.

Erdogan last week urged ethnic Turks in Germany to vote against German Chancellor Angela Merkel´s conservatives and two other parties in September 24 elections, labelling them "enemies of Turkey".

Gabriel said at the time that Erdogan wanted to incite people in Germany against each other in "an unprecedented act of interference in the sovereignty of our country".

Kurz on Sunday condemned "the constant interference by Erdogan in the internal affairs of other states," and suggested Germany was not the only country where Turkey interfered.

Turkey repeatedly claims that Germany, home to three million ethnic Turks, is sheltering Kurdish militants and wanted coup plotters.
Erdogan himself hit back at Gabriel personally at the weekend, telling him: "Know your limits."

Relations between the NATO allies deteriorated sharply after last year´s failed coup following the widespread crackdown in Turkey on the public sector and journalists.

Berlin says there are 10 Germans, including dual nationals, in custody in Turkey including Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yucel, Istanbul correspondent of the Die Welt daily.

German ambassador Martin Erdmann visited Yucel in prison on Tuesday as well as Berlin-based activist Peter Steudtner, who was arrested in a July raid, the German foreign ministry said in a statement. 

"They are as well as can be expected under the given circumstances," the ministry said, adding Erdmann met each for over an hour, holding "intense" talks.