Chancellor Angela Merkel has taken note of the decision to end appearances of Turkish politicians at campaign rallies in Germany. The decision could help calm the situation, she said in an interview. She is still willing to talk to Turkey. "That is the only way to find solutions."
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In an interview with the German broadcaster Saarländischer Rundfunk, Chancellor Angela Merkel has commented on the decision that Turkish government politicians will no longer appear at campaign events in Germany. She said that the unacceptable comparisons with Nazi practices drawn by the Turkish side have been responsible for generating tension between Germany and Turkey. So she has taken note of the decision, which she said will surely "help bring some peace to the situation".
The Chancellor added that she could not precisely gauge the reasons for ending appearances of Turkish politicians, or whether this should be considered a "de-escalation". It might just be that the phase of campaign rallies has come to a natural end. Angela Merkel pointed out that on 27 March Turkish citizens can begin to vote in Germany. "We will wait and see what happens."
The Chancellor stressed that Germany has no interest in any escalation in the country’s relations with Turkey. People with Turkish roots in Germany are part of our society and citizens like everybody else. "We want to live well with them, and that is not going to change."
Angela Merkel added that the way President Erdogan has acted does not leave her baffled. "I will continue to seek to resume dialogue, even if this involves disputes, because I believe that the only way to find solutions is through dialogue." Nevertheless, there are times when no solution can be found swiftly. Politics also involves stressful situations. "It is our duty to overcome things like this time after time, but obviously not regardless of the cost. We have our interests, and we want to have them accepted. We have our values, on the basis of which we act," she reiterated.
The Chancellor also made it clear that the German government will be taking the report of the Venice Commission on the Turkish referendum very seriously. "It is a step away from democracy." We will wait and see how the referendum goes, and then see "how we must act and how we must continue to define the values that are important to us".