Berlin: Germany is continuing to receive requests for asylum from Turks with diplomatic passports in the wake of a crackdown on the opposition following the July 15 failed coup.
A research group of broadcasters WDR, NDR and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported Friday that 136 people with Turkish diplomatic passports applied for asylum between August 2016 and January 2017, according to the Interior Ministry. In November the group reported 53 such applications.
It wasn't clear how many were diplomats and how many family members, and there was no indication how many applications had been processed.
The situation has caused diplomatic tension between the countries, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressing Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting this month to reject asylum requests and extradite 40 soldiers allegedly involved in the coup.
