Erdogan: I will keep up ‘Nazi’ taunts as long as I am called ‘dictator’

ity of Swiss law on Swiss soil, urged Turkey to comply with it,” a statement said.

“Freedom of expression is a universal value recognized by Switzerland, which hopes that this freedom will also hold true for Turkish citizens whether they cast their votes in Switzerland or in their own country,” it quoted Burkhalter as saying.

Cavusoglu’s visit comes after the Swiss government rejected a request from Zurich authorities to cancel a previously planned visit by the minister earlier this month, after the canton’s security spokesman warned that a rally he was due to attend could be hit by “heavy demonstrations.”

However, the organizers canceled the event after the hotel they had booked refused to host it.

Swiss police on March 10 also blocked a rally in the northern canton of Argau supporting a “yes” vote in the referendum.

Burkhalter expressed concern about a crackdown in Turkey following a failed July 15 coup that the government has blamed on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Erdogan, in a separate development, hit out at the head of Germany’s intelligence service for suggesting that Berlin is not convinced Gulen played a role in the failed coup.

Erdogan accused BND foreign intelligence chief Bruno Kahl of making the remarks on behalf of Germany’s leaders, who he said backed Gulen’s movement.

Kahl told Der Spiegel magazine that Turkey tried to “convince us on a number of different levels. But they have not yet been successful.”