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April 28th, 2017 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : German Chancellor Angela Merkel, addressing German legislators, attempted to strike a balanced tone by criticizing irregularities in Turkey’s recent constitutional referendum while noting that it is in the interest of Germany or the European Union if Turkey leaves Europe.
Merkel stressed that a final departure by Turkey from Europe would be neither in the interests of Germany nor of Europe. The German Chancellor added that it would be a mistake for the Europeans to turn their back on Turkey.
Merkel’s statement fell within the context of a recent statement by Turkey’s President R. Tayyip Erdogan. During an Istanbul meeting to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Thursday, Erdogan said “We cannot allow some institutions, especially the European Union, to question the democracy of our country and the results of the referendum on April 16″.
The referendum resulted in a victory for the “yes” campaign by a narrow 51 – 49 % margin. The day after the referendum the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) reported that a “lack of equal opportunities, one-sided media coverage and limitations on fundamental freedoms” had created an “uneven playing field” in the constitutional referendum, which replaced Turkey’s current parliamentary system with a powerful presidency, eliminating the prime ministry among other changes.
The OSCE visited the country to observe and assess the Turkish referendum at the request of Turkey, the organization says on its website. Erdogan and the Turkish Foreign Ministry have dismissed the criticisms as “unacceptable” and the report as “biased.” The OSCE’s final report is due out within the final days.
Merkel also called for the release of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, who is currently imprisoned in Turkey after reporting on emails that a computer hacker collective had acquired from the private account of Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, the son-in-law of Erdogan. “To be unmistakably clear, it’s not compatible with the rule of law if the Turkish executive judges people in advance, as has obviously happened with Deniz Yücel,” Merkel stressed.
Erdogan had said earlier this week that Turkey will not wait at Europe’s doorstep forever, suggesting that Turkey may choose to hold a referendum on whether or not the people still want to become a member of the European Union.
F/AK – nsnbc 28.04.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/04/28/merkel-tries-to-balance-criticism-of-turkey-with-joint-eu-turkish-interests/
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