ANKARA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has withdrawn its request via Interpol for information on German companies based in Turkey as part of its anti-terrorism investigations, local media reported on Monday.
"In a phone call between the two countries, a communication problem at the Interpol's existing mechanism has been detected. Upon this, Turkey withdrew its request for information from Germany over the weekend," the government spokesperson Bekir Bozdag said in a press conference on Monday.
According to Hurriyet Daily, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu called his German counterpart Thomas de Maiziere to underline that no German firms were being probed by Turkey over suspicions of supporting terrorist groups.
Bozdag reiterated that Turkey's investment environment for foreign investors is safe and this policy will continue in the future.
Tobias Plate, the spokesperson of the German Interior Ministry, also confirmed Turkey has formally withdrawn its request for German help in investigating nearly 700 German firms suspected of backing terrorism.
Earlier, some media reported that Turkey launched an investigation into 700 German firms, including giants Daimler and BASF, escalating tension between two countries following Germany offered asylum to Gulen's supporters.
Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based preacher,is blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed coup attempt on July 15.
The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen's supporters in the aftermath of the coup attempt.
