Erdogan Calls on Turks in Germany to Reject Main Parties
- President lists CDU, Greens, SPD as ‘enemies of Turkey’
- Remarks drew rebuke from Merkel, Social Democratic leaders
How Germany Votes: Everything You Need to Know
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Turks living in Germany not to vote for political parties he accused of verbally attacking Turkey to bolster their support in next month’s elections, drawing a rebuke from Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Germany’s Christian Democrats and Social Democratic Party -- the two ruling parties -- as well as the Greens “are all enemies of Turkey,” Erdogan said Friday in televised remarks directed at about 1 million German voters of Turkish origin. “I think Turkish voters should teach a necessary lesson at the ballot box to those political parties who are so aggressive and disrespectful toward Turkey.”