German chancellor rejects Nazi remark

BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday rejected remarks by Turkey’s president accusing officials of “Nazi practices,” days after a local authority in Germany prevented a Turkish minister from addressing a rally.

“One cannot seriously comment on such misplaced statements,” Merkel said at an event in Berlin, the DPA news agency reported.

Diplomatic tensions have risen in recent days amid Turkish plans to have government ministers address rallies in Germany and the Netherlands in support of a national referendum on constitutional reform that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more powers. Scores of expatriates are eligible to vote.

Last week, local authorities in southwestern Germany withdrew permission for Turkey’s justice minister to use a venue to hold a “yes” rally aimed at Turks living in Germany. Responding to that, Erdogan on Sunday said that “Germany, you don’t have anything to do with democracy. These current practices of yours are no different than the Nazi practices of the past.”

Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said earlier Monday that the German government “strongly rejected” that, adding that such comparisons downplay the crimes of the Nazis.

Seibert noted there are strong social, economic and military ties between Germany and Turkey, but acknowledged that there are “far-reaching differences of opinion” between Berlin and Ankara at the moment.

The strife comes at a time when the European Union is relying on a migrant deal with Turkey that has significantly cut down the number of refugees crossing into Europe. However, Erdogan has several times threatened to quit the deal when expressing anger over European countries.