Turkey summons German ambassador over cancelled meeting

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has summoned German Ambassador to Ankara Martin Erdmann, over the cancellation of a meeting between Turkey’s justice minister and Turkish citizens in Germany on March 2, according to a ministry source.     
 
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said Erdmann was called to the ministry in relation with the developments which led the municipality of the southern German town of Gaggenau to revoke permission for a hall meeting between Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ and members of the Turkish community scheduled for earlier March 2.      

Erdmann was called upon the order of Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the source said, adding that Deputy Undersecretary Mehmet Kemal Bozay expressed Turkey’s discomfort over the incident.      

The municipality of Gaggenau revoked its permission for the meeting citing concerns of overcrowding, which prompted Bozdağ to cancel his planned visit to Germany. The incident has drawn strong criticism from the Turkish government.      

Bozdağ had called the cancelation unacceptable, stressing that the right of assembly was one of the irreplaceable features of democracy.

He said the decision also did not fit the rule of law, criticizing Berlin for permitting outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) meetings in the country.

The move came after Germany’s Left Party demanded the cancelation of Bozdağ’s speech. The municipality initially stated that the meeting was about the foundation of the Rastatt branch of a Turkish union but later said it officially cancelled the meeting.