Merkel tells of ‘deep concern’ over Turkey human rights

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday of her “deep concern” over the state of democracy in Turkey and voiced doubt that a plan to offer Turks visa-free travel to the EU would be implemented on time.

Merkel’s blunt comments after highly sensitive talks with Erdogan on the sidelines of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul revealed the extent of surging tensions between the EU and the Turkey over human rights.

The German leader took aim at a law that critics believe is aimed at evicting pro-Kurdish lawmakers from parliament and stressed to Erdogan that a democracy needed “an independent judiciary, an independent press and a strong parliament”, Breitbart reported.

Turkey’s parliament on Friday adopted a highly controversial bill that would lift immunity for dozens of MPs.

Erdogan made no comment after the talks and tellingly Merkel made her remarks not beside the Turkish president but later to her domestic press at the German consulate, AFP reported.