ANKARA: Turkey on Monday summoned the German ambassador for the second time in just three days, Turkish diplomatic sources said, as an intensifying bilateral crisis showed no sign of ending.
Germany ambassador Martin Erdmann had already been called in by the Turkish foreign ministry on Saturday over a rally that Ankara said was organized by supporters of Kurdish militants in Cologne.
Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu said the summons related to a previous incident where Erdmann had been unable to attend but did not specify further.
A Turkish foreign ministry source, who asked not to be named, said it was a “coincidence” that the latest summons came so soon after the previous order from the ministry at the weekend.
German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer confirmed the summons, saying it was the 17th time in his tenure as ambassador that Erdmann had received such an order.
Erdmann has been Berlin’s envoy to Ankara since August 2015.
Schaefer told reporters in Berlin the number of summonses Erdmann had received was “very unusual” between “partners within NATO.”
Relations between the allies deteriorated sharply after last year’s failed coup, with Berlin condemning the mass arrests in Turkey which have included German citizens.
Among those imprisoned is Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist with the Berlin-based newspaper Die Welt, accused of terror charges earlier this year.
But Turkey has repeatedly accused Germany of supporting “terrorists,” referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and individuals accused of involvement in the failed coup.
The Turkish foreign ministry said on Saturday it expressed “in a strong way” its opposition to the rally which it claimed was “an activity by the PKK terror group’s extensions in Germany and their spreading terror propaganda there today in Cologne.”
Erdogan has accused Germany of “Nazi” and “fascist” practices while Germany has responded by updating its travel advice to warn citizens that they could face arrest if they travel to Turkey.
The PKK, which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984, is proscribed by Turkey as well as the European Union and the United States.
Turkey summons German envoy over pro-Kurdish rally in Cologne
Turkey summons German envoy over pro-Kurdish rally in Cologne
Dozens missing after boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia
- At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region
BANJUL: Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants on their way to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, the West African nation’s leader said late Friday, setting off a frantic search and rescue operation.
At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region, Gambian President Adama Barrow said in a state broadcast.
The emergency services were joined by local fishermen and other volunteers in searching for the victims, days after Wednesday’s incident near the village of Jinack, he said.
Thousands of Africans desperate for better opportunities in Europe risk their lives traveling on boats along the Atlantic coast, one of the world’s deadliest migrant routes that connects the West African coast across Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania.
Many migrants seeking to reach Spain via the Canary Islands never make it due to high risks of boats capsizing. In August 2025, around 150 people were either dead or missing after their boat that came from Gambia capsized off the coast of Mauritania. A similar incident in July 2024 killed more than a dozen migrants with 150 others declared missing.
It was not clear what led to the latest tragedy. Gambia’s Ministry of Defense said the boat was found “grounded on a sandbank.”
“The national emergency response plan has been activated and the government has deployed adequate resources to intensify efforts and provide assistance to the survivors,” Barrow said.
Some of the 102 survivors were undergoing urgent medical care, the Gambian leader said.
As he condoled with families, Barrow vowed a full investigation and called the accident a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.”
“The government will strengthen efforts to prevent irregular migration and remains determined to create safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to fulfil their dreams,” he added.
