Germany rejects Turkey's claim that Berlin supports militant groups

BERLIN: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday rejected a claim by his Turkish counterpart that Germany supported the Kurdish militant group PKK, saying such extremist parties were banned in Germany.

"The PKK and other extremist parties are banned as terrorist groups here. They are criminally prosecuted," Steinmeier said.

"That is why I cannot understand the comments made about Germany today in Turkey. Repeating the claims does not make them right."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Berlin on Tuesday of allowing the PKK and far-leftist DHKP-C, both of which have carried out armed attacks in Turkey, to operate on German soil with impunity.