Ankara reacted angrily after the FDP deputy compared Erdogan to a sewer rat. While Turkey summoned the German ambassador, Kubicki tried to limit the damage. Referring to the film “Ratatouille,” he said he was a cute, clever, but also devious creature.
The Turkish government has “strongly” condemned a controversial animal comparison by the FDP Deputy Wolfgang Kubicki to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and summoned the German ambassador. The spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Tanju Bilgic, said the “unacceptable statements” were inappropriate for his office as Vice President of the German Bundestag and lacked any political morality and responsibility. The German ambassador was also informed of “our strong reaction” to this issue.
According to media reports, at an election campaign event in Hildesheim, Kubicki referred to Erdogan as a “sewer rat” in connection with his refugee policy. When asked, the FDP politician classified: “In a side note during an election campaign appearance in Lower Saxony, I called Mr. Erdogan “little sewer rat”. A sewer rat is a small, cute, but clever and devious creature, which is why it also appears as a protagonist in children’s stories (“Kalle Kanalratte”, “Ratatouille”),” said Kubicki, who is also the Vice President of the Bundestag.
Kubicki said he made the statement as part of a statement on the refugee policy of the Turkish president, who had struck a deal with the European Union to reduce the number of refugees, which was beneficial for Turkey. After that, Turkey received money from the EU for blocking the way to Europe for refugees. “Nevertheless, we have to see that the wave of refugees via the Balkan route increases again, which poses new challenges for German foreign and domestic policy,” said Kubicki.
Most recently, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had also expressed concern because a significantly increasing number of refugees are coming to Germany via the Balkans. Apparently, many of the migrants traveled via the Serbian capital Belgrade, also via the airport there, and then made their way to Germany, the SPD politician told the TV station Welt last week. She announced talks with Serbia about “why migration has suddenly increased”.
