MFA rebukes German magazine for smear against Turkey
by Daily Sabah with AFP
ISTANBULSep 15, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah with AFP
Sep 15, 2016 12:00 am
The Foreign Ministry yesterday harshly criticized German magazine Der Spiegel for trying to smear Turkey and distort its image in the eyes of the European public. Spokesman Tanju Bilgiç considered a special edition of the German magazine to be directly targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with "ill-intentions."
"A country loses its freedom," the special issue of the German magazine, published Tuesday, said on its cover, describing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a "dictator." The magazine has come under heavy fire in Turkey as well for directly targeting the country and the president.
The ministry described the magazine's publishing policy as "far from being responsible," saying that it was "the clearest and latest example of an anti-Turkey approach."
"We regretfully condemn the attempts... to smear Mr. President," it added, calling for an end to "pointless and ill-intentioned" efforts to blacken Turkey's image.
Introducing the special edition, Der Spiegel said: "What is going on in Turkey? There is hardly a day without bad news... President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is changing from a reformer into a despot."
Der Spiegel has a long history of disputes with Turkish authorities and earlier this year withdrew its correspondent to Istanbul because he did not have accreditation.
On the issue's cover, two minarets from an Istanbul mosque are transformed into rockets and lifting off for an attack. The MFA slammed the image as well. The statement said that the minarets in the cover are insulting, especially during Qurban Bayram.
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