Turkey Warns Of Mounting Anti-foreigner Mood In Europe

Berlin, May 13, IRNA -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu here Sunday warned of growing xenophobia and a surge of far-right movements in Europe, according to IRNA. Talking at a joint press briefing with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle, Davutoglu voiced ˈconcernˈ over the worsening anti-foreign mood in Europe, saying it was endangering the common future of the continent. Davutoglu remarks come only days after the start of the most high-profile neo-Nazi murder trial in Germanyˈs post-World War II history. At least 10 people, including eight ethnic Turks and a Greek man, were murdered by a neo-Nazi death squad between 2000 and 2007 for simply being foreigners. Beate Zschaepe, believed to be the last surviving member of a neo-Nazi gang known as the National Socialist Underground (NSU) is facing trial in Munich with four alleged accomplices. According to Davutoglu, he met with the victimsˈ families of the NSU killings on Saturday whereby they voiced outrage over ˈthe arrogant and condescendingˈ attitude of Zschaepe during her first trial session. This behavior by Zschaepe at her trial has deeply hurt the feelings of the families, Turkeyˈs chief diplomat said. This is not only a legal but also a political and cultural problem, he added. The NSU murders have been a major political embarrassment for the center-right government of Chancellor Angela Merkel as it has tarnished Germanyˈs image abroad while the country is still grappling with its dreadful Nazi past./end