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World / Middle East

Merkel expresses concern about situation of Kurds in Turkey

Published: 22 May 2016 - 05:47 pm | Last Updated: 16 Nov 2021 - 06:15 am
Peninsula

German Chancellor Angela Merkel leaves after giving a speech during festivities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the DOSB (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, German Olympic Sports Confederation) at the Paulskirche church in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on May 20, 2016. (AFP / PATRIK STOLLARZ)

 

BERLIN: Ahead of her visit to Turkey, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says "some developments in Turkey fill us with big worries."

The chancellor expressed concern over the Kurdish conflict in an interview with weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Sunday saying "we want that the Kurdish people have an equal place and a good future in Turkey."

Merkel left for Turkey on Sunday afternoon to attend the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul and also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Several high-ranking German lawmakers called on Merkel to be outspoken during her trip and express concern about what the speaker of Germany's Parliament, Norbert Lammert, has called Erdogan's "autocratic ambitions" including his push to push to strip legislators in Turkey of their immunity from prosecution.
AP