MHP party leader says Turkey not Germany's 'whipping boy'

Turkey is not Germany's "whipping boy", the leader of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said Thursday as he came out in support of the government in its most recent dispute with Berlin.

Devlet Bahçeli backed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his governing Justice and Development (AK) Party after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Turkey-EU Customs Union would not be expanded and aid to Turkey cut to a minimum.

"Turkey is not a whipping boy of Germany," Bahçeli told a news conference in Ankara.

"The MHP stands by the government and state in its foreign policy, agreeing with its policies towards Germany."

Bahçeli, who has increasingly allied with the government in recent months, said the "mistakes" of German politicians did not go unnoticed in Turkey.

He said Germany had been "caught red-handed" in its support for terror groups such as the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which Ankara has said orchestrated last year's defeated coup.

The refusal to extradite FETO suspects is one of numerous complaints Turkey holds against Germany.

Relations between Turkey and EU nations, particularly Germany, have been damaged by a series of disputes following the failed coup, in which 250 people were martyred.

The arrest of several German nationals, including a journalist and a rights activist, have angered Berlin and restrictions on German lawmakers' access to Incirlik air base in southern Turkey have led to Germany withdrawing its forces.

Last weekend, Erdoğan urged Turks in Germany to vote against "anti-Turkish" parties in Germany's federal election next month.

When warned to stay out of German politics by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, the president told him: "Know your place."
TURKISH OPPOSITION HEAD HITS OUT AT IRAQI KURDISH VOTE
A Turkish opposition leader on Thursday said next month's planned independence vote in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq could potentially lead to war.

Bahçeli said Turkey should oppose the referendum which would include Turkmen-populated areas.

"This referendum, for Turkey, could be regarded as a reason for war, if need be," Bahçeli said.

On Sept. 25, Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government will hold a referendum on whether to declare formal independence from the Iraqi state.

Baghdad rejects the poll, saying it could adversely affect the ongoing fight against Daesh, which despite a string of recent defeats still maintains a significant presence in Iraq.