UPDATE 2 - Turkish FM hits out at Germany over ministerial visit

UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM TURKISH FM

By Tugrul Cam

ANKARA (AA) - Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday accused what he described as the German “deep state” of being behind the obstruction of a planned address by Ankara’s justice minister to members of the local Turkish community.

On Thursday, the municipality of Gaggenau in southwest Germany revoked its permission for Bozdag's meeting, citing concerns about overcrowding. This prompted the minister to cancel his planned visit to Germany.

The incident has drawn strong criticism from the Turkish government.

Speaking on Friday, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said the German authorities had tried to prevent such meetings before: "This has become a systematic practice of the German deep state."

He said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also prevented from addressing Turkish expats last year, shortly after the defeated 15 July 2016 coup attempt but rallies in support of the PKK were permitted.

"You allow the terrorists but you do not allow the president of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan [who is] elected by the people, and there is no explanation for this," he said.

Last year, Germany's highest court upheld a ruling that banned Erdogan from addressing a rally in Cologne via video call to protest the July 15 coup attempt which martyred at least 248 people and wounded around 2,200 others.

Germany had said the measure was for "security reasons.”

-Turkey not ‘second class’

"The systematic pressures on Turkish society [in Germany] do not discourage Turkish society. You can't achieve this," Cavusoglu added.

Cavusoglu said Berlin’s attitude towards Turkey revealed double standards shown by Germany and the West.

He went on to say that Germany should consider Turkey an equal partner but it had to act like an equal partner: "Turkey is not a country at your [Germany's] disposal.”

Turkey was not a “second-class” country, Cavusoglu added.

"If you want to work with us you have to learn how to behave towards us," he said.

Cavusoglu also called on Germany to work together with Ankara for the good of Turkey’s large community there.

After the incident Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador, Martin Erdmann, over the cancellation.

The event in Gaggenau had been organized by the Union of European Turkish Democrats, or UETD.

Germany is home to the largest Turkish expat community in the EU, numbering around three million people.