Hard Merkel with Erdogan, has warning for Turkish citizens

Ankara had warned that its citizens are at risk of facing racism or terrorism, said “Deutsche Welle”, Periscopi broadcast.

No Turkish citizen should be afraid to travel to Germany during his election season, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday.

I want to be very clear in this case: Any Turkish citizen can visit us”, Merkel said during a campaign meeting in the western town of Delbrück.

No journalist has been arrested here, here we have freedom of expression and rule of law, and we are proud of this”, Chancellor Merkel added.

According to the German Foreign Office, at least 10 Germans are currently arrested in Turkey on political charges, including Deniz Yücel, a German-Turkish newspaper journalist “Die Welt”.

On Saturday, Turkey's foreign ministry issued a warning of travel by telling Turkish citizens who visit or live in Germany to be careful where they can be labeled racist during the country's election campaign.

Political leaders in Germany are establishing their election campaigns on the foundations of anti-Turkey and blocking our country's EU membership”, the Turkish statement said.

The Foreign Ministry's statement also told its citizens that Germany welcomes terrorist groups, such as the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Islamic cleric's network Fetullah Gulen.

Terrorists “chein freely on Germany's” street, the ministry claimed in question.

Merkel and her main rival in the upcoming September 24th national elections, Martin Schulz, called for an end to Turkey's EU membership talks during a televised debate last week.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries dropped significantly after a series of crises following last year's failed bid to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

About 3 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, 1 million of whom have the right to vote in the September 24th elections this year./Periscopi/