There are lines that may not be crossed': Germany on Nazi comment

Berlin: Criticising the Turkey’s Nazi comment, Germany’s Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel on Wednesday said, "There are quite simply lines that may not be crossed, and one of them is the comparison with Nazi Germany."

"This is the freest state that there has ever been on German soil. We are one of the freest and most democratic countries in the world," he continued.

Last week the Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan criticised the debate surrounding the cancelled campaign appearances of Turkish politicians in Germany, with the words "I thought National Socialism was a thing of the past in Germany, but it is still there".

A good, honest meeting, although discussions were controversial Sigmar Gabriel reported that his meeting with Mevlüt ÇavuÅŸoÄŸlu was "good and honest, cordial in the way we dealt with one another, although tough and controversial in terms of the matters discussed".

"We agreed that neither side is interested in causing lasting damage to relations," he stressed. The aim must now be to return to normal, cordial relations "step by step", said the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"Only face to face meetings, like our meeting here today, will gradually improve relations between our two countries again." The goal of both sides must be to put in place a "fair, open and honest partnership and indeed friendship" between the two countries, said Sigmar Gabriel.

The talks between both parties covered all bones of contention, Sigmar Gabriel reported, and specifically mentioned the case of the German journalist Deniz Yücel who is currently imprisoned in Turkey, as well as the constitutional reform in Turkey and the campaign appearances of Turkish politicians in Germany.

Angela Merkel on Monday roundly rejected the comparison with Nazi practices made by the Turkish President as "completely unacceptable" and unjustifiable.