BERLIN, July 20 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Thursday tightened safety recommendations on travel to Turkey, in response to Turkey's jailing of journalists and human rights activists.
Gabriel cancelled his holiday in light of the recent development and delivered a strongly-worded statement against the country.
While no travel warning was issued, the Foreign Office warned of political tensions and arbitrary police actions.
Germany is to conduct talks with its European Union (EU) partners about the pre-accession aid Turkey receives. As well, the German government would also examine the economic aid tools, such as Hermes export credit guarantees, Gabriel announced.
The Turkish ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry on Wednesday.
According to the ministry, he was informed "extremely clearly" that the arrests of German citizen Peter Steudtner and five other human rights activists in Istanbul were "neither comprehensible nor acceptable."
The Turkish Foreign Ministry rebuked the measures, announcing that this "direct German involvement in Turkish justice" was not acceptable.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Turkey's actions were cause for "grave concern," stating that the German government was "completely convinced that the arrest is unjustified."
However, the Turkish prosecutor's office accused the detained Germans of supporting an "armed terror organization." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously alleged they had been involved in the failed coup of July 2016.
In the wake of the attempted coup a year ago, 22 German citizens have been detained in Turkey, according to the federal German government. Nine of them are still in custody. Among them are the Welt newspaper correspondent Deniz Yuecel and German journalist and translator Mesale Tolu Corlu.
Federal Justice Minister Heiko Maas said it was important not to jeopardize the access to the imprisoned Germans in Turkey, despite the need to pressure the government in Ankara.
"The stance taken on Turkey has to get tougher," said Maas in Berlin. However, nothing would be improved by breaking off relations, he said.
A report from Ankara also accuses several German companies of supporting terrorists.
According to German newspaper Zeit, Turkish authorities handed a list of alleged terrorist supporters to the German Federal Criminal Office. The list includes 68 companies and individuals.
According to the report, these companies are linked to the movement of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, which is being persecuted in Turkey for terrorism.
