German lawmakers slam Turkey for alleged spying on colleague

BERLIN – German lawmakers are voicing anger at claims that Turkey is spying on a fellow member of Parliament.

The caucus leader of the Social Democratic Party said it was “absolutely unacceptable” that lawmaker Michelle Muentefering appeared on a list Turkey’s spy agency MIT handed to its German counterpart.

German media reported that Muentefering appeared under the heading “centres of power and non-governmental organizations” on a list of people and groups allegedly linked to the Gulen movement .

The Turkish government claims supporters of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen were behind last year’s coup attempt in Turkey.

SPD caucus leader Thomas Oppermann said in a statement Wednesday that “the Turkish government must immediately stop this spying.”

Muentefering, who chairs the German-Turkish parliamentary group, said “a line has clearly been crossed.”