FM Çavuşoğlu, German counterpart hold second phone call amid rally ban row

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his German counterpart Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel held a second phone conversation late Monday as tension between the two countries escalates over the German ban on Turkish ministers' rallies in the country.

The two ministers held their previous phone call on Sunday, upon request from the German side.

On Thursday, the municipality of Gaggenau in southwest Germany revoked its permission for Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ's meeting, citing concerns about overcrowding. This prompted Bozdag to cancel his planned visit to Germany altogether.

Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi's planned address on Sunday to a Turkish community in the western city of Cologne was also cancelled by local authorities over security concerns.

Tensions between Ankara and Berlin further escalated last week after German media and politicians sharply criticized Turkey for the pre-trial detention of Die Welt's Istanbul correspondent Deniz Yücel on charges of terror propaganda.

Among Germany's 3 million-strong Turkish community, nearly 1.5 million of them are eligible to vote. They will cast their votes at Turkish consulates in Germany between March 27 and April 9.