Gabriel: My Wife is Receiving Threats After Our Debate with Erdoğan

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German Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel has stated that his family is receiving threats following his debate with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

In a statement he made to German news agency dpa, Gabriel said, “The way Erdogan does this [criticizes the minister] motivates some people to try to harass and bother my wife”.

Rheinpfalz newspaper previously had covered the threats against Gabriel’s family. Gabriel made a statement yesterday (August 21) in Ludwigshafen where he was present as part of the electoral campaign and said that his wife was receiving threats after his debate with Erdoğan.

Gabriel said that people had left messages with threats on an answering machine in a dentist clinic where his wife works, Rheinpfalz reported.

When a head of state starts to act against an individual, unfortunately there are people who think they have the right to organize oppression of this individual," Gabriel was quoted as saying by the Welt newspaper.

What happened?

President Erdoğan had called on the people from Turkey living in Germany to "not vote for Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and the Greens" and said "They are enemies to Turkey".

Erdoğan's call saw reactions from different sections including the people from Turkey living in Germany and German authorities.

On the same day of the call, referring to President Erdoğan, Gabriel said, "For a long time, we have tried a rational stance against him. Sometimes it might be better not to take him so seriously."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said that they wouldn't tolerate such an interference.

On the next day, Gabriel said, "That is an unprecedented act of interference in the sovereignty of our country. Erdogan's interference in Germany's electoral campaign shows that he wants to incite people in Germany against each other" and called on the people to oppose to this attempt". (AS/TK)