Turkish PM furious with Merkel, demands apology

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded an apology from German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday over recent accusations that Turkey is not taking sufficient steps toward resolving the Cyprus issue, Hurriet Daily News reported.

"It is meaningful that the Chancellor of Germany carries her populist politics into Cyprus. Those statements do not give the impression of a leader with vision. We say that Merkel should revise her knowledge of history and apologize," Erdogan told his deputies during a Justice and Development Party, or AKP, parliamentary group meeting in Ankara.

The harsh comments came after Merkel described the Turkish Cypriot presence in northern Cyprus as an "invasion" during a recent visit to southern Cyprus. She criticized Turkey and Turkish Cypriots for not doing enough to reach a deal with Greek Cypriots.

"Merkel's statements not only hurt but they also reflect a lack of historical knowledge and contradict statements she made in the past," Erdogan said. "Merkel showed how unfamiliar she is with Cyprus dispute."

Merkel never took part in Cyprus negotiations, Erdogan said, adding that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder's involvement in past negotiations would illustrate the sensitivities such negotiations require. "She could read a book by Mr. Schroder. It demonstrates how immoral the behaviors of the time were.

Stressing that the European Union and the United Nations were ultimately responsible for the negotiations, Erdogan said they were still looking for a criminal and blamed Turkey. However, Turkey would not give away a single gram of northern Cyprus, he said.