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WORLD NEWS Thursday 9 March 2017

Germany hopeful relations with Turkey can normalize

DAVID RISING gan has accused of being
Associated Press both a German spy and a
BERLIN (AP) — Germa- “representative” of the out-
ny’s foreign minister ex- lawed Kurdish rebel group
pressed cautious optimism PKK — a claim Germany
Wednesday that Berlin and has dismissed as “absurd”
Ankara may begin to slow- — and has not yet allowed
ly reel diplomatic relations any German consular ac-
back to normal, following cess to him.
an escalation of tensions Yucel, a reporter for Die
that culminated with Turk- Welt, was detained in Is-
ish President Recep Tayyip tanbul on Feb. 14 over his
Erdogan accusing Germa- reports about a hacker at-
ny of “Nazi practices.” tack on the email account
Foreign Minister Sigmar of the country’s energy
Gabriel said talks at a Ber- minister. Gabriel said he
pushed for access to Yu-
lin hotel over breakfast cel, who has both Turkish
with Turkish Foreign Minister and German citizenship,
Mevlut Cavusoglu, the first and lobbied for his release.
face-to-face official meet- Even before the current
ing since the diplomatic rift, relations were strained
crisis began last week, over Germany’s criticism
were “good, honest and of Erdogan’s crackdown
friendly, but also hard and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel addresses the media during a statement at the foreign following a failed coup as
ministry in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, March 8, 2017 after his meeting with his counterpart from
contentious.” Turkey, Mevlut Cavusoglu. a flow of Turkish diplomats
Over the past week, Ger- (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) and soldiers sought asylum
man municipalities have in Germany.
canceled several events many are eligible to vote one of those is the compar- his supporters from doing Germany has suggested
in which Turkish Cabinet in the referendum. Setting ison with Nazi Germany,” so. it may not extradite sus-
ministers had planned to the stage for Wednesday’s Gabriel said. “This does not fit democ- pects wanted by Turkey
address rallies in Germany meeting, Cavusoglu re- Cavusoglu toned down his racy,” he said at a Ber- in cases it considers politi-
in support of a national ref- peated Erdogan’s asser- rhetoric after Wednesday’s lin trade fair. “Germany cally motivated, which has
erendum on constitutional tion late Tuesday, saying meeting, saying only that it should not take sides.” prompted Erdogan to ac-
reform that would give Er- Germany’s “practices are seemed Germany was al- Adding to bilateral ten- cuse Germany of shelter-
dogan more powers. Of- similar to those of the Nazi lowing anti-Erdogan cam- sions, Turkey arrested Ger- ing terrorists and having no
ficials have cited issues era.” “There are lines that paigners to express their man newspaper reporter regard for other countries’
of overcrowding and fire should not be crossed, and opinions while preventing Deniz Yucel, whom Erdo- security issues.q
safety, among other things. NATO, US warn Kosovo against move to form army
Some rallies have gone
ahead, most recently with BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO and planned “NATO will have to draft law to parliament ask- in Serbia, from Russia’s MIG
Cavusoglu himself address- the United States warned review its level of commit- ing approval to form a reg- jets in Serbia and from the
ing a crowd in Hamburg Wednesday they could ment, particularly in terms ular army. The move was Russian military exercises in
late Tuesday night, though scale back cooperation of capacity-building.” immediately denounced Serbia.”
not at the venue initially with Kosovo’s security ser- A U.S. embassy statement by Serbian leaders, who re- “I expect that NATO is
planned. vices if the government said “adoption of the cur- fuse to recognize Kosovo’s aware of such concrete
Germany’s federal gov- goes ahead with plans to rent proposed law would independence and said threats,” Thaci said at a
ernment has expressed in- transform its lightly-armed force us to re-evaluate they will use all political news conference later
creasing irritation over Turk- security force into an army our bilateral cooperation means available to prevent Wednesday.
ish officials using Germany without the required consti- with and longstanding as- the formation of an army. Constitutional amend-
as a campaign platform, tutional changes. sistance to Kosovo’s secu- “There is no turning back. ments would require voting
though it emphasized that NATO Secretary General rity forces.” The move must The KSF (Kosovo Security approval from the ethnic
it wasn’t involved in block- Jens Stoltenberg said he be carried out through an Force) will be transformed minorities at Kosovo’s par-
ing the rallies and couldn’t told Kosovo’s leaders by “inclusive and representa- into Kosovo’s army,” Thaci liament. Serbia in effect
intercede with the munici- telephone “that unilateral tive political process,” the told Radio Free Europe holds a key say through
palities that did so. About steps such as these are un- statement added. Wednesday. “Western Bal- Kosovo Serbs on whether
1.4 million people of Turk- helpful.” He warned that Kosovo President Hashim kans is endangered from the required constitutional
ish descent living in Ger- if Kosovo goes ahead as Thaci on Tuesday sent a the Russian military bases changes can happen.q