German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier accused Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan of persecuting the opposition. He told about this in an interview with ZDF.
According to Steinmeier, Erdogan is trying to "reshape the country for himself." Also, the President of Germany noted that in Turkey, harassment, imprisonment and coercion to silence against "remnants of criticism and opposition" became more frequent.
In addition, the German president stressed that Berlin "can not accept" what is happening in Turkey.
Because of the persecution in Turkey, Steinmeier believes the reorientation of the Berlin policy towards Ankara is the right step.
"With what is happening in Turkey, we can not accept it - it's a matter of self-respect for Germany," the president of the country said.
Steinmeier also approvingly commented on an open letter on behalf of the German government to the Turks in Germany, which was published by German Foreign Minister Zigmar Gabriel. In this letter, the minister explained why Berlin changed its policy towards Ankara.
