German FM summons Turkish Ambassador over activist arrest

Following the arrest of German human rights activist Peter Steudtner in Turkey, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel summoned the Turkish Ambassador in Berlin to the Foreign Office.

The minister will consult with experts in the Federal Foreign Office on Thursday on how to react to the recent offense by Turkish President Erdogan. Stricter security recommendations by the German Foreign Office for travel to Turkey could be put into place.

Martin Schaefer, Foreign Office representative, said "The Turkish ambassador has been told clearly that the arrest of human rights activists is incomprehensible," stressing the importance of this "unambiguous" and "crystal clear" message. The Turkish diplomat had said that this message would be transmitted to the Turkish government immediately.

The Turkish Ambassador had been called to the Foreign Office on multiple occasions in the past. The Ambassador "certainly knows the route very well," Schaefer said. The federal government must now "seriously" consider how to continue German-Turkish relations.

Federal Minister of Justice Heiko Maas condemned the imprisonment of Steudtner.

Turkey had triggered an international outrage with the imprisonment of the German Peter Steudtner and five other human rights activists. The German was arrested two weeks ago at a workshop in Istanbul. The prosecution accuses them of supporting an "armed terror organization."

"We stand in solidarity with Peter Steudtner, who is unjustly imprisoned in Turkey," Speaker of Government Steffen Seibert said. The German Government would "support him at all levels."

In the wake of the attempted coup a year ago, 22 German citizens have been detained in Turkey according to the federal German government.

source: xinhua