Turkish foreign minister says will maintain Germany visit

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday that he would go ahead with a planned visit to Germany despite local authorities’ banning him from making a speech on safety grounds.

The comments came amid a row over the stopping of events in Germany attended by Turkish officials meant to boost support for a vote in April that would increase President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s powers.

“I am going to Hamburg today,” Cavusoglu told foreign countries’ chief consuls, including Germany’s, in Istanbul. “I will meet this evening with our citizens in Hamburg.”

Cavusoglu said: “Nobody can and should prevent us from meeting with our citizens.”

Local authorities in Germany have called off a rally where Cavusoglu was due to speak, citing safety reasons.

Turkish foreign ministry officials said two events were cancelled in Hamburg, but a third venue was found, and that is where Cavusoglu was due to speak.