Turkish Foreign Minister accuses Berlin of harbouring terrorists, as disagreement heats up

ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday accused Germany of harbouring terrorists, comments likely to ratchet up the disagreement between Berlin and Ankara after Turkey jailed some rights activists.

“As a country providing shelter to PKK and FETO terrorists in its own territory, statements by Germany are just double standards and unacceptable,” Cavusoglu said on Twitter, referring to the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the network of U.S.-based cleric Ankara blames for last July’s failed coup.

Germany told its citizens on Thursday to exercise caution if travelling to Turkey and threatened measures that could hinder German investment there, in a sign of growing impatience with a NATO ally after the detention of rights activists. 

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by David Dolan)