Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has crossed a line by comparing Germany's government to the Nazis and is no longer welcome in the country, a major ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.
The rebuke from Volker Bouffier, premier of Hesse state, reflected growing exasperation over Erdogan's assertions that Germany and other European powers were using Nazi tactics by banning Turkish political rallies in their territories.
"Enough is enough," said Bouffier, also vice chairman of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union. "Mr. Erdogan and his government are not welcome in our country, and that must be now be understood," he told broadcaster DLF.
Germany media had reported that Erdogan was planning to visit Germany in March to rally Turkish people living there to support a package of new presidential powers in an April referendum.
Bouffier said such a visit would create security problems. "Someone who insults us in this way cannot expect that we will assemble thousands of police to protect him," he said.
Germany's government has said it has not received a formal request for a visit by Erdogan.
Merkel called on Monday for Turkey to stop the Nazi comparisons and said her government reserved the right to block future appearances by Turkish officials if they did not comply with German law.
Reiner Haseloff, another member of Merkel's conservatives and premier of Saxony-Anhalt state, urged Berlin to bar such visits.
"Every statesman that wants to discuss something with us is welcome as a guest, and will be welcomed with the proper diplomatic protocol, but that does not include campaigning, and especially not by people who are discrediting us as a nation," he told the Welt newspaper in an article published on Tuesday.
"Those who compare us to Nazis are not welcome. That is not acceptable," he said, adding that Berlin should not rely on local and state governments to make decisions about visits by Turkish politicians as it has up to now.
Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul on Sunday: "Merkel, now you're applying Nazi methods. Against my brothers who live in Germany, and against my ministers and lawmakers who visit there."
His Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said a day later that Turkey was using metaphors about "facism" because it was worried about European countries forgetting their history and falling into the trap of Nazism once again.
Reuters
Tue Mar 21 2017

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, March 11, 2017. Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS

China promises Latin America 'trustworthy' ties as Trump lays out demands
Beijing looks to improve its foothold in a region historically under the US sphere of influence.

Major risks loom as Trump upends US Russia policy
Washington's approach changes dramatically with the initial meeting between US and Russian negotiators.

Pope Francis has double pneumonia, complicating his treatment, Vatican says
Doctors say a polymicrobial infection occurs when two or more micro-organisms are involved and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

Philippines' VP Duterte challenges impeachment before Supreme Court
Sara Duterte makes her first legal move to fight the case that could lead to her removal and lead to a lifetime ban from public office.

Motor racing - Hamilton steps out in red at unprecedented 10 team F1 launch
I feel so full of life, so much energy, because everything's new and I'm just focused on what is up ahead, Hamilton says.

UAE tells US' Rubio it rejects displacement of Palestinians
The UAE's stance matters as its one of four Arab nations that normalised ties with Israel during Trumps first term.

Taylor Swift wins recording artist of the year crown for fifth time
The megastar's "The Tortured Poets Department" record also topped four IFPI charts, the IFPI says.

More than $50 billion needed to rebuild Gaza, World Bank joint assessment says
Years of rebuilding work, including clearing unexploded ordinance and millions of tonnes of rubble lie ahead.

Malaysia’s AI data centre development to be impacted by recent US restrictions - Liew
Liew Chin Tong says the restrictions would not affect the development of the domestic data centre ecosystem as a whole.

Sweden's top court rejects Greta Thunberg lawsuit on climate action
A court cannot decide that the parliament or the government must take any specific action, the Supreme Court says.
![[COLUMNIST] Trump’s Gaza (pipe) dream [COLUMNIST] Trump’s Gaza (pipe) dream](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-10/51728873693_EMIR.jpg)
[COLUMNIST] Trump’s Gaza (pipe) dream
The Gaza plan is dangerous and counter-productive as it's merely another recipe for regional instability.

Sivasangari eyes new career-high in world rankings
After climbing to a career-best world number seven, national women's squash ace S. Sivasangari is determined to keep rising.

Outburst against Steven Sim: DAP will probe if there's a complaint - Loke
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke says the disciplinary committee has not received any reports related to the incident so far.

US judge will not block Elon Musk from firing federal workers, accessing data
The case raises questions about Musk's apparent unchecked authority as a top deputy to President Donald Trump.

Dozens of false killer whales stranded on remote Australian beach
Rescue crews trying to save the majority of the large dolphins that survived the ordeal, according to authorities.

Trump restricts AP access over Gulf of Mexico issue
The AP, citing editorial standards, says it would continue to use the gulf's established name.

China to fly back 200 nationals rescued from Myanmar scam centres, Thai official says
This is part of a multinational effort to crack down on illegal online operations run from the region.

Somber Tiger Woods back in action in TGL loss to New York GC
Tiger Woods makes his first start since the death of his mother when he competed in a TGL match at Palm Beach Gardens.

Brazil's ex-President Bolsonaro charged in alleged coup plot
A total of 34 people were charged, including several military officials.

Trump and Musk target tax enforcers, rocket scientists, bank regulators for job cuts
Concerns grow over transparency, oversight, and Musk's influence on government operations.