German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to seek “a respectful dialogue” with all political parties after the short “yes” victory in the referendum granting him increased powers.
“The (German) government is waiting for the Turkish government, after a tough election campaign, to now seek a respectful dialogue with all political and social forces”, the Chancellor said in a short statement. Berlin said “take note” of the provisional result of the vote that saw the “yes” win with 51.37% after tabulation of the ballots in 99.45% of the ballot boxes.
The German government “respects the right of Turks to decide on their constitution”, she said, stressing that “the tight result shows how deeply divided Turkish society is”. This means a great responsibility for the Turkish leaders and for President Erdogan personally”, she said as the Turkish head of state conducted a violent verbal campaign against German leaders after the ban on pro-Erdogan meetings in Germany.
Berlin also called for “political discussions as soon as possible” with Ankara “both bilaterally and between the European institutions and Turkey”. Several German political parties have called for an end to the negotiations with Turkey on its accession to the European Union and the suspension of all provision of weapons.
