Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

German Parliament speaker criticizes Erdogan broadside

BERLIN – Germany’s Parliament speaker has criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his broadside against German lawmakers of Turkish origin after the legislature labeled the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago “genocide.”

Turkey withdrew its ambassador for consultations after the German Parliament’s vote last week. Erdogan derided German lawmakers of Turkish origin who supported the resolution, saying they should be given blood tests to prove whether they are really Turkish. Several have reported receiving threats.

Speaker Norbert Lammert told Parliament Thursday: “I would not have thought it possible that, in the 21st century, a democratically elected president would link his criticism of democratically elected German Parliament lawmakers with doubts about their Turkish origins and describe their blood as tainted.”

Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the Turkish comments “incomprehensible.”

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles