Turkish minister slams EU Commission head's remarks

ANKARA 

Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik has slammed European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for "using the same language as racists do against Turkey".

Celik's remarks came after Juncker's televised interview Tuesday in which he said: "I cannot accept that current Germany is compared to Nazi Germany. It's an impertinence.

"I am surprised by what I hear from Turkey. When the Turkish president and his foreign minister say that today's Germany is worse than Nazi Germany, I cannot accept it."

In response, Celik tweeted: "This is not Juncker's business as the president of the EU Commission, there is an ongoing debate between Turkey and Germany.

"His job description does not say he is the spokesman for the German government."

The minister added Juncker had been unable to "offer any sensible solution to crises in Europe."

He also asked Juncker to criticize German authorities for going against Turkish ministers’ "right of assembly”.

"We remind him of his responsibilities to the peoples of Europe. And we recommend [him] to use a language reflective of EU values," he added.

Relations between the two countries plunged recently after German local authorities cancelled several events related to Turkey’s April 16 referendum on constitutional change that Turkish government ministers had planned to address.

The cancellation of referendum rallies caused big anger in Turkey, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan comparing the move to Nazi-era practices.

Nearly 3 million Turkish migrants live in Germany and around half are eligible to vote in the referendum, which could grant wide-ranging powers to the president.

Turkish citizens in Germany will cast their votes at consulates between March 27 and April 9.

*Reporting by Ecenur Colak; Writing by Ilker Girit