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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 22 July 2017
Germany sends Turkey carefully calibrated warning France: Le Pen’s

embattled party
By GEIR MOULSON future of government ex- Two other steps are subject tour operators to offer free
Associated Press port guarantees to insure to discussion with EU part- vacation rebookings or rethinking itself
BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s German companies’ in- ners, many also running out cancelations.
government is signaling PARIS (AP) — Marine Le
to Turkey that its patience Pen’s far-right National
is running out and it can Front party is holding a
hit back against escalat- high-tension meeting that
ing provocations, but has could lead to a name
sought to stop well short of change and a rethink of
burning its bridges with its the party’s demand to pull
NATO ally. France out of the euro.
More than a year of strains The populist, anti-immi-
in the countries’ relation- gration party is trying to
ship came to a head this stay relevant after a roller-
week with Turkey’s jailing coaster election season, in
of a German human rights which Le Pen dominated
activist, Peter Steudtner, the presidential campaign
who had no previous links but was crushed in the run-
to Turkey but was accused off.
of links to terror groups. Changing the party’s
A court jailed Steudtner name — associated with
along with five others from Le Pen’s outspoken fa-
Turkey and Sweden days ther — is among sensitive
after Turkey blocked a visit items on the agenda at a
by lawmakers to German closed-door “seminar for
troops serving in NATO air reflection” Friday and Sat-
crews at a base in Turkey. urday at the party’s head-
The accelerating pace German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for her last the weekly cabinet meeting, prior to her quarters in the Paris suburb
of mini-crises with Turkey summer vacations, at the chancellery in Berlin, Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Germany’s government of Nanterre. A final decision
is signaling to Turkey that its patience is running out and it can hit back against escalating
meant that German politi- provocations. on such changes would be
cians felt they had no op- (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) put to party members later.
tion but to give Ankara Even more explosive is the
food for thought, after vestments in Turkey, as they of patience with Ankara: Germany’s finance min- party’s internal debate
months in which they had do in many other countries, discussing the future of fi- ister, an influential figure over its anti-euro policy.
held back. With a German arguing that “you cannot nancial aid allocated to in Chancellor Angela That stance is believed to
election coming Sept. 24, advise anyone to invest in help prepare Turkey to join Merkel’s conservative par- have cost Le Pen votes in
there was added pressure a country if there is no lon- the bloc, and examining ty, hinted that it could be the presidential campaign
to get tough. ger legal security.” credits from European de- worse for Turkey. In com- and has deeply divided
Yet while Foreign Minister He didn’t immediately an- velopment banks. ments published Friday in party leadership — and
Sigmar Gabriel and Cabi- nounce concrete steps, but Germany’s new travel ad- the Bild daily, Wolfgang worried global financial
net colleagues switched to Germany’s exporters as- vice set out the problems Schaeuble said Turkey is markets because of its po-
harsher rhetoric on Thurs- sociation noted that many that have arisen in recent now arresting people arbi- tentially devastating im-
day, Germany announced companies had already months — nine German cit- trarily and failing to com- pact on Europe’s econo-
little drastic immediate put investments on hold, izens are currently in custo- ply with minimum consular my.
action — giving Turkey a and that losing out on Turk- dy as a result of the crack- standards — a reminder, Le Pen acknowledges that
glimpse of what damage ish business wouldn’t badly down following last year’s he added, of “how things leaving the euro makes
could await but also leav- affect the foreign trade of coup attempt in Turkey. It used to be in East Germa- people “anxious” yet stuck
ing room for an improve- the European Union’s big- stated that “people travel- ny.” to the strategy during the
ment in relations. And as gest economy. ing for private or business “If Turkey doesn’t drop campaign, largely on the
Gabriel noted, Berlin is On Friday, the Economy reasons to Turkey are ad- these little games, we must guidance of party No. 2
keen to avoid a situation Ministry said all applica- vised to exercise elevated say to people: ‘You travel Florian Philippot. Le Pen’s
in which Germany’s own tions for the export of de- caution.” to Turkey at your own risk, clumsy defense of her an-
ethnic Turkish minority “falls fense equipment to Turkey But it stopped notably short we can’t guarantee any- ti-euro stance in the final
between stools.” are being put under exami- of a formal travel warning, thing for you any more,’” campaign debate was
Gabriel cast doubt on the nation. It didn’t elaborate. which would likely prompt he said. q particularly devastating.
Philippot is now under fire
Poll finds lower support for Catalan independence from some party heavy-
weights who accuse him
of burying their presidential
The Associated Press point from a March poll, Also Friday, the Spanish In response, the Catalan chances.
MADRID (AP) — Support while 41.4 percent want government said it will con- government accused the “Even if economically,
for independence in the independence, down 3 duct weekly audits of Cat- central government of dis- we were right, politically
prosperous Spanish region percentage points. Others alonia’s public spending to crimination and an attempt we were wrong,” Ber-
of Catalonia is waning less did not know or did not re- ensure no taxpayer money to bankrupt the region. nard Monot, a National
than three months ahead spond. goes to the ballot. The cen- In a statement, the Cata- Front economic strategist
of a planned referendum, The poll by the Catalan re- tral government says the lan government accused and European Parliament
an opinion poll published gional government’s Cen- referendum proposed for central government in Ma- member, was quoted as
Friday indicated. ter for Opinion Polls was Oct. 1 is unconstitutional drid of seeking to “put at saying in business daily Les
The poll showed that 49.4 based on 1,500 face-to- and is threatening to cut risk social services to stop us Echos. He plans to push a
percent of Catalans are face recent interviews. The off funding to Catalonia’s going to the polls ... and is more “euro-compatible”
against seceding from margin of error was 2.53 government if the referen- putting Spain’s unity ahead program at the party semi-
Spain, up one percentage percent. dum goes ahead. of the democratic wishes nar.
Others, however, see leav-