More than 250 Turkish officials, diplomats and members of their families sought political asylum in Germany. About it reports The Local, citing the statement of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Germany.
“The applications on granting refugee status will be treated separately, their fate will be decided in accordance with the law”, — said the press-Secretary of Department.
As the newspaper notes, the surge in the number of applications for asylum took place after the suppression of the coup attempt in July 2016.
Earlier German authorities have banned two rallies of the local Turkish community after the arrest in Istanbul of a journalist Denise Ujala, a German citizen of Turkish origin. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called it a German agent.
On 5 March the Turkish President compared the ban on campaign in Germany in support of it with the Nazis. In response, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that he sees “absolutely no justification” for these words, they are “bottomless pit devalues the suffering of those who became victims of Nazi crimes against humanity.”
July 15, 2016 in Turkey, attempted a coup, which killed more than 230 people, more than 2.1 thousand were injured. After these events in Turkey conducted mass purges in the government, intelligence services, courts, army, educational institutions.
Ankara has accused of organizing the coup, Fethullah Gulen, living in USA since 1999. The preacher insists on his innocence to the coup attempt.
Erdogan is seeking to amend the Constitution that will transform Turkey into a presidential Republic. A referendum on the issue will take place on 16 April 2017. If the people will vote for the proposed amendments, the President will be the Supreme commander, will have control over key posts in the armed forces, will be able to form a government and dissolve Parliament. The post of Prime Minister will be eliminated and the number of parliamentarians will increase.