The Turkish ambassador to Berlin has been summoned by the German Foreign Ministry in an escalation of tensions between Turkey and Germany.
The move was in response to recent allegations made by Ankara regarding press freedom violations. The dispute revolves around the search of residences belonging to two Turkish journalists near Frankfurt, which Turkey claimed infringed the freedom of the press.
The current dispute was triggered by the searches of the residences of two journalists working for the pro-government newspaper Sabah. The searches were conducted by the state prosecution in Darmstadt and the police headquarters in southern Hesse, who cited suspicion of “dangerous dissemination of personal data” as the reason. The journalists, aged 46 and 51, were later released.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the German Foreign Ministry said that it had clarified its position on the issue in the meeting with the Turkish ambassador, rejecting the Turkish government’s accusations concerning the freedom of expression, press freedom and the judiciary in Germany.
This diplomatic row comes at a sensitive time for Turkey, where the run-off in the presidential election is approaching. It is the latest in a series of incidents that have strained relations between the two countries. Last week, the Turkish government summoned the German ambassador in Ankara, accusing Germany of attempting to harass and intimidate the Turkish press.
The Sabah newspaper is affiliated with the Turkuvaz Media Group, which has close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s family. The Frankfurt office serves as the European headquarters for the media group. Approximately 90 percent of Turkish media organisations are either government-controlled or have strong political affiliation with it.
