BERLIN: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is putting at risk his country's centuries-old ties to Germany, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a newspaper interview, as tensions escalate between the NATO allies.
Bilateral relations have deteriorated following the arrest by Turkey of six rights activists, including one German, two weeks ago as part of a wider crackdown since a failed coup against Erdogan last year.
"He is jeopardising the centuries-old partnership," Schaeuble said of Erdogan.
"It is dramatic, as there is really a lot that connects us. But we can't allow ourselves to be blackmailed," the minister said in an interview with daily Bild published on Monday.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff said on Sunday that Turkey's behaviour was "unacceptable" and Germany had a duty to protect its citizens and companies, but also wanted to maintain strong bilateral ties.
Tensions were already high after bitter recriminations during a referendum in April on extending Erdogan's powers and a pullout of German troops from a Turkish air base that began this month.
Ankara has refused to let German lawmakers visit soldiers at two air bases. Volker Kauder, head of Merkel's conservative bloc in parliament, said this was unacceptable.
"It worries me that we have a NATO country that forbids visits by other NATO members," Kauder told broadcaster ARD. "This is an intolerable situation and we must say clearly to Turkey: this is not on."
Germany has warned its nationals travelling to Turkey that they did so at their own risk, and Schaeuble was quoted on Friday as comparing Turkey with the former communist East German state, the German Democratic Republic.
In March, German authorities barred Turkish ministers from speaking at mass rallies of expatriates backing the president's referendum campaign. He responded by accusing Berlin of "fascist actions".
The activist arrests were part of a broader crackdown since last year's failed coup. More than 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from jobs in Turkey's civil service, military and private sector and more than 50,000 have been jailed.
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Erdogan gambling with centuries-old ties to Germany — Schaeuble
Erdogan gambling with centuries-old ties to Germany — Schaeuble
UN rights chief appeals for $400 million as crises mount and funding shrinks
- The UN office is appealing for $100 million less than last year, after a significant scale back of its work in some areas
- Volker Turk’s office undertook less than half the number of human rights monitoring missions compared to 2024
GENEVA: UN human rights chief Volker Turk appealed for $400 million on Thursday to address mounting human rights needs in countries such as Sudan and Myanmar, after donor funding cuts drastically reduced the work of his office and left it in “survival mode.”
The UN office is appealing for $100 million less than last year, after a significant scale back of its work in some areas due to a fall in contributions from countries including the US and Europe.
“We are currently in survival mode, delivering under strain,” Turk told delegates in a speech in Geneva, urging countries to step up support.
In the last year, Turk’s office raised alarm about human rights violations in Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and Myanmar, among others.
However, due to slashes in funding, Turk’s office undertook less than half the number of human rights monitoring missions compared to 2024, and reduced its presence in 17 countries, he said. Last year it received $90 million less in funding than it needed, which resulted in 300 job cuts, directly impacting the office’s work, Turk said in December.
“We cannot afford a human rights system in crisis,” he stated.
Turk listed examples of the impacts of cuts, noting the Myanmar program was cut by more than 60 percent in the last year, limiting its ability to gather evidence.
A UN probe into possible war crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also struggling to become fully operational due to limited funding, while work to prevent gender-based violence and protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people globally has been cut up to 75 percent, the office said.
“This means more hate speech and attacks, and fewer laws to stop them,” Turk stated.
The UN human rights office is responsible for investigating rights violations. Its work contributes to UN Security Council deliberations and is widely used by international courts, according to the office.
The UN office is appealing for $100 million less than last year, after a significant scale back of its work in some areas due to a fall in contributions from countries including the US and Europe.
“We are currently in survival mode, delivering under strain,” Turk told delegates in a speech in Geneva, urging countries to step up support.
In the last year, Turk’s office raised alarm about human rights violations in Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and Myanmar, among others.
However, due to slashes in funding, Turk’s office undertook less than half the number of human rights monitoring missions compared to 2024, and reduced its presence in 17 countries, he said. Last year it received $90 million less in funding than it needed, which resulted in 300 job cuts, directly impacting the office’s work, Turk said in December.
“We cannot afford a human rights system in crisis,” he stated.
Turk listed examples of the impacts of cuts, noting the Myanmar program was cut by more than 60 percent in the last year, limiting its ability to gather evidence.
A UN probe into possible war crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also struggling to become fully operational due to limited funding, while work to prevent gender-based violence and protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people globally has been cut up to 75 percent, the office said.
“This means more hate speech and attacks, and fewer laws to stop them,” Turk stated.
The UN human rights office is responsible for investigating rights violations. Its work contributes to UN Security Council deliberations and is widely used by international courts, according to the office.
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