国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Row spirals between Turkey, Germany over human rights activists arrest_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Row spirals between Turkey, Germany over human rights activists arrest

Several dozens of military personnel and diplomats applied for asylum in Germany while Turkey demanded, in vain, for their extradition. Germany as well as some other EU countries also infuriated Erdogan for refusing him to hold rallies for the Turkish diaspora ahead of the crucial April constitutional referendum that granted the Turkish head of state extensive executive powers.

The tensions came to a new head this week after the Turkish authorities decided to hold Steudtner under arrest. He was detained on July 5 with five others, including Amnesty International's Turkey director, in a raid on a hotel where they were attending a digital security workshop. The Turkish authorities have accused them of having links to terrorist groups.

"The case of Peter Steudtner shows that German citizens are no longer safe from arbitrary arrests," Gabriel said. Berlin said nine other German citizens, including two journalists, Deniz Yucel and Mesale Tolu, were being held by Turkey.

Gabriel said the Germans had been accused without evidence. He cited their detentions as "examples of the absurd accusations of terror propaganda that obviously are only meant to serve to silence every critical voice in Turkey.

The German government will consider "further measures" in the coming weeks, after discussing the future of financial aid for Ankara with its EU partners, in the context of the long-stalled talks on Turkey potentially joining the bloc, Gabriel said.