News

Merkel welcomes release of German-Turkish author in Spain

Posted August 21, 2017 7:00 am

The Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has welcomed the release of a German writer detained in Spain on a Turkish warrant and criticized Turkey for "abusing" Interpol.

Merkel told RTL Television late Sunday that "I'm very happy that Spain released him ... We cannot abuse international organizations like Interpol for such things."

Turkish-born writer Dogan Akhanli, who has German citizenship, was arrested Saturday while vacationing in southern Spain. Akhanli was conditionally released after a court hearing Sunday, but ordered to remain in Madrid, while Turkey's extradition request is considered.

It wasn't immediately clear what Akhanli is accused of, but the author has written about the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey in 1915. The killings are a sensitive subject in Turkey, which rejects the widespread view that they constituted genocide.

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers Nation and World News

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.