"Germany has no superior in the spheres of rule of law, tolerance and liberality," Altmaier told the ARD broadcaster, adding that the Erdogan’s statement was "absolutely unacceptable."
He said that the German government was in permanent contact with the Turkish authorities.
"We will make efforts so that people in Turkey realize and draw conclusions from the meaning and problematics of the events that occurred in the recent days," Altmaier said.
On March 5, Erdogan compared German authorities with Nazis for banning Ankara’s campaign rallies on German soil ahead of a crucial vote on the constitutional reform. Ankara is seeking support of its large expat community in Germany for a constitutional change that would give more powers to Erdogan, including granting the president the ability to appoint some top judges and declare a state of emergency.
The Turkish referendum on constitutional changes would take place on April 16.
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