19 March 2017•Update: 20 March 2017
KADIRLI, Turkey
Turkey's EU minister Sunday slammed Germany for holding anti-Turkish double standards.
"How can terrorist organization be allowed to gather in Germany, while government ministers of the Republic of Turkey are not allowed to meet with our citizens?" he asked at a rally in the southern Osmaniye province’s Kadirli district.
German officials Saturday allowed terrorist PKK followers to march in the city of Frankfurt, in marked contrast to its recently blocking Turkish ministers and politicians from addressing Turkish voters in the country.
Around 9,000 people marched in the central German city of Frankfurt with banned PKK posters and flags, openly defying the federal government's prohibition of terrorist symbols in public places, including PKK symbols.
Although Turkey, the EU, and the U.S. consider the PKK a terrorist group, for years it has been openly holding demonstrations across Europe -- mainly in Germany and France.
After the PKK march, Germany’s ambassador to Turkey was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the incident was strongly condemned, according to presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.
On Sunday, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag also condemned Germany allowing the marches, adding that neither democracy, nor freedom of expression or assembly, can justify this move.
"Unfortunately, the German government and officials have embraced the PKK and other terrorist groups," he told reporters in the central Yozgat province.
Reporting by Ibrahim Erikan; Writing by Ilker Girit
