Germany hopes court will improve access to neo-Nazi trial

BERLIN: The German government said on Wednesday it hoped a court would find a way to ensure Turkish media access to cover a neo-Nazi murder trial in which most of the victims were of Turkish origin.

Amid growing outrage that no Turkish reporters will have guaranteed seats at the hearings starting in Munich next month, Berlin voiced sympathy with the critics but stressed that its hands were tied.

"It would be good if, in a case that obviously interests the Turkish public and people of Turkish origin in Germany there were the possibility for journalists to be given appropriate access to report on it," a foreign ministry spokesman told reporters.

"In light of the independence of the judiciary, it is not for me to say how that should be done but I can express this wish nevertheless."

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman also voiced cautious doubts about the current media access plans while stressing that Berlin could not intervene.

"We as a government have a great deal of understanding that there is such strong interest among media in Turkey. Indeed most of the victims of this horrible murder spree were of Turkish origin," he said.

"The hope must be that this media interest will be treated with sensitivity." A woman believed to have been at the heart of a neo-Nazi cell accused of killing 10 people between 2000 and 2007 goes on trial on April 17 in a case that stunned Germany when it came to light in late 2011.

Beate Zschaepe is suspected of involvement in the 10 murders whose victims included eight ethnic Turks, a man of Greek origin and a German policewoman.

The Munich superior regional court said the 50 reserved courtroom seats for the media had been allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, adding the trial could not be broadcast in another room for legal reasons.

The decision leaves dozens of international media organisations, including all the Turkish outlets that applied for accreditation, no guarantee that they can report from the trial.

Turkish groups, victims' representatives, public officials and journalists blasted a lack of "sensitivity" in light of the massive public interest in the case.

The top-selling German daily Bild offered to give its place to a colleague from the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet but a court spokesman said this would violate the accreditation rules.