Turkish citizens living in Germany would not be allowed to vote in a Turkish referendum on reintroducing the death penalty, a government spokesman said on Friday.
“It is politically unthinkable that we would agree to a vote on a matter that is contradictory to our constitution and to European values.
“If another country wants to hold an election or vote in its embassies or consulates here in Germany, it is subject to approval”.
“Germany is “not obliged” to grant that approval,” Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
Some 1.41 million Turks living in Germany are eligible to vote in Turkish elections.
Nearly two-thirds (63.1 per cent) of those who voted in April referendum are to adopt constitutional changes that will grant Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers voted in favour of the alterations.
Erdogan has repeatedly stated that he plans to let the people of Turkey decide whether they want the death penalty to be reintroduced in their country.
Such a move would spell the end of Turkey’s accession talks with the European Union.
Martin Schulz, the Social Democrats’ popular new leader who plans to challenge Merkel in the September 24 national election kicks against Turks voting.
“Allowing Turks to vote on the matter would be incompatible with “our values and our constitution.”
Capital punishment was abolished in Turkey in 2004 as part of its bid to join the bloc.
The EU does not permit the death penalty, so its reintroduction by Ankara would automatically exclude Turkey from joining the bloc.
However, since a coup attempt by a faction of the military in July 2016, Erdogan has been calling for its reintroduction in order to rid the country of alleged supporters of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.
The Turkish government had blamed Gulen for the uprising, however, he denies the charges. (dpa/NAN)
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