ANKARA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Foreign Ministry issued Saturday a warning for its citizens visiting or living in Germany ahead of German general elections slated for Sept. 24.
In a written statement, the ministry warned Turkish citizens to "be cautious," and "keep themselves out of political discussions and absent from rallies held by terrorist groups ahead of the elections."
The ministry said the political atmosphere in Germany was under the effect of increasing far-right and even racist discourses as the campaign was based on anti-Turkey rhetoric and the aim of blocking Turkey from becoming a member of the European Union.
There was "discrimination" against Turks "on the basis of their political views," which has led to "verbal attacks against some of our citizens," said the statement.
Ties between Turkey and Germany have been strained recently. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month called on Turks living in Germany not to vote for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, the Social Democratic Party or the Greens, as they were "enemies of Turkey."
On Sept. 3, Merkel said in a televised debate with her center-left rival Martin Schulz that she would seek to halt Ankara's EU membership talks, drawing reactions from Ankara.
