The former Bundestag member of the Greens, Memet Kiliç, sees a new level of escalation achieved: "I am not aware that ever a German politician was charged in Turkey," he told the news agency dpa.
Kiliç is accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the dpa news agency, the Prosecutor General in Ankara classifies several statements made by Kiliç in an interview with the Turkish Internet newspaper "ABC Gazatesi" in July 2017 as insulting to the head of state.
In it, Kiliç had said among other things: "The damage that Erdogan has inflicted on Turkey is intolerable." He continues: "As a politician with Turkish roots, I am very sad that my country has been placed in this situation and I call those who brought it into this situation the traitor." The complaint was filed by the Legal Office of the General Secretariat in the Presidential Office. Erdogan is listed in the application as the injured party.
"This regime is trying to silence me",
He learned of the indictment a month ago because it was served to a nephew living in Turkey, Kiliç told the dpa news agency. He himself had not traveled to Turkey for three years because of possible reprisals. "This regime is trying to silence me," he said.
Left-wing politician Sevim Dagdelen demanded: "The federal government must reject this attack on freedom of speech in all clarity." Green politician Cem Özdemir said: "I expect an unequivocal statement to Ankara that we will not tolerate these attacks on our society and democracy."
Kiliç, 52, who has German and Turkish citizenship, was a member of the Bundestag from 2009 to 2013 and now works as a lawyer in Heidelberg. But he is still politically active, including as spokesman for the state working group migration and integration of the Greens in Baden-Württemberg. Kilic is admitted to be a lawyer in Karlsruhe and Ankara. He is also Deputy Chairman of the Federal Immigration and Integration Council.