New crises broke out between the Merkel government and the Erdoğan regime in these past days. The German Chancellor Merkel gives messages that their policies regarding Turkey will get even harsher, Berlin is expected to take sanctions against Erdoğan one level further.

Turkish President Erdoğan’s call to Turkish-German voters to “not vote for the CDU, SPD or Greens”, writer Doğan Akhanlı’s arrest in Spain by the Erdoğan regime’s demand, and most recently the German Foreign Minister Gabriel’s announcement that his wife was threatened because of the dispute with Erdoğan...

These recent developments between Berlin and Ankara are considered the second phase in the tensions between the Merkel government and the Erdoğan government. Now there is speculation on what sanctions Angela Merkel, considered sure to get reelected on the September 24 Federal elections, will impose on the Erdoğan regime in this period.

After German human rights activist Peter Steudtner was arrested along with a group of human rights defenders in a workshop on cyber security for rights defenders in Büyükada, Istanbul, Germany had imposed a series of sanctions against the Erdoğan regime by early July.

The sanctions announced by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel were focused on “economic pressure” against the Erdoğan regime. The German Government announced that they will no longer offer credit guarantee for companies investing in Turkey, warned their citizens against visiting Turkey and pressured Brussels to cut off EU financial aid for Ankara.

MERKEL GIVES A MESSAGE: “OUR HANDS ARE NOT TIED”

Foreign Minister Gabriel claimed the sanctions against Ankara “worked”, but Erdoğan continued to raise his voice against Germany and continued with his insults, bringing the question what sanctions will follow next. All parties, including the CDU in the government, are in favor of more sanctions against Erdoğan.

Chancellor Merkel attended an election program on RTL yesterday. She mentioned German Citizen Doğan Akhanlı’s arrest in Spain on Ankara’s demand and indirectly gave a message that their “hands are not tied against Erdoğan”.

Merkel pointed out that Turkey is abusing the international police network of Interpol and said Interpol should not be used in this manner. There are talks that to avoid the “long hand of the Erdoğan regime” meddling with not only Germany but with all Europe, Ankara should not be utilizing the advantages of Interpol anymore. According to rumors, Germany will take steps to this end in the coming days.

“THIRD DEGREE SANCTIONS AGAINST ERDOĞAN”

By mid-July, after human rights defender Peter Steudtner was arrested in Turkey, the Turkish ambassador in Berlin was called in to the Foreign Ministry.

The mainstream German media commented that the Merkel government could send the Turkish embassy officials and the Turkish ambassador himself back home in the future. That would be the second degree in sanctions.

Last week, the Merkel government enacted a similar stance against Vietnam. One Vietnamese businessman who was in Berlin with the asylum seeker status had been abducted by Vietnamese intelligence and taken back to Vietnam, after which Germany sent the intelligence attache in the Vietnam Embassy back to their country.

The “third degree” is Berlin cutting off all diplomatic ties with Ankara. But according to commentary on the Focus journal’s website, this step seems unlikely in the near future. German commentators say Germany has still not cut off ties entirely with North Korea, a country subject to many international tensions, and voice this view: “It’s too early for such a step against Turkey, Merkel first needs room to breathe.”