Turkey condemns decision to allow pro-PKK rally in Germany

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it condemned as a "double standard" a decision by Germany to allow a rally by the pro-PKK opposition HDP party in Cologne, having previously prevented ruling party politicians from campaigning there.

"This two-faced approach, which we condemn strongly, cannot be reconciled with democracy, the fight against terrorism and expectations of a normalisation in Turkish-Germany relations," the ministry said in a written statement.

Recalling Germany's ban on Turkish politicians, who wanted to carry out rallies ahead of June 24 parliamentary and presidential elections, the ministry said the rule needs to apply on all political parties.

In April, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had said that his country would not allow Turkish politicians to carry out election campaign rallies.

Turkish opposition HDP, which government accused of being a political front for PKK, held a rally in German city of Cologne on Saturday.

Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU, the PKK has waged a wide-ranging terror campaign against the Turkish state since the mid-1980s, in which an estimated 40,000 people have been killed.