Turkey slams Germany's language in election campaign row

Turkey on Sept. 4 harshly criticized the hardened tone used by German officials adopting an "anti-Turkey stance" and obstructing Ankara's EU prospects weeks before the country's Sept. 24 federal elections, amid ongoing tension between the two NATO allies.

Commenting on remarks about the country and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan aired on TV debate by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democrat (SPD) challenger Martin Schulz on Sept. 3, presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said they amounted to "a reflection of Europe's narrowing horizon." 

"The fact that Germany and Europe are attacking Turkey and Erdoğan, disregarding their fundamental and urgent problems, is a reflection of Europe's narrowing horizon," Kalın tweeted on Sept. 4, adding that the fact that Ankara and the president were dominant topics during the debate between the two was "not a coincidence."

"The anti-Turkey thoughts in Europe have become a tool of relief through creating an enemy 'other' and postponing the fundamental problems," he said.

"The fact that mainstream German politics has submitted to populism and otherizing-antagonizing will only fuel discrimination and racism," Kalın said.

He also claimed that it "does not matter" who wins the German election, as the "mentality adopted to win the vote is obvious."   

"The fact that Merkel and Schulz never touched on discrimination and increasing racism throughout the debate shows the point to which German politics has reached," Kalın said.

"We hope this problematic atmosphere, which sacrifices Turkish-German relations to a narrow political horizon, will change soon," he said.

During the debate, Merkel said she would seek an end to Ankara's membership talks with the EU...