What if Bundestag was bombed, Merkel asks

“I believe it is right and important to condemn the coup. The Turkish government also rightfully expects this. Imagine if we were here in the area of the German Federal Parliament and our own army bombards us,” Merkel told German broadcaster ARD on Aug. 28. 

She also stressed the importance of regularly coming together with Turkish officials. 

“If you talk behind each other instead of talking with each other, it does not usually give any good results in diplomacy,” said Merkel. 

She also touched on her recent comments demanding that Turkish-origin Germans show their “loyalty to Germany,” saying she did not want “divisive issues in Turkey” to be carried over into Germany.
 
“I am their prime minister too. It would be better if the divisive issues in Turkey were not brought over to Germany,” said Merkel.   

Meanwhile, German Deputy Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel echoed Merkel’s words on the need for post-coup support to Turkey. 

Gabriel said that not only did Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish government feel “denied,” but also the opposition and Turks in Germany.

He added that “emotional support” to Turkey should have been shown earlier and more strongly. 

“We needed to go there more quickly – on the same day or on the following day,” Gabriel said.  

Turkey’s Western allies, including the United States, have been repeatedly criticized by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other voices in Turkey, who say the West did not show necessary solidarity with Turkish democracy after the military coup attempt by followers of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen on July 15.