German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday condemned “in the strongest terms” the failed coup in Turkey, but called on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to deal with the plotters lawfully.
The treatment “of those responsible for the tragic events of last night can and should only be handled according to the rule of law,” she said.
Addressing Erdogan but not mentioning him by name, Merkel said that “democracy, which respects everybody’s rights and protects minorities, is the best foundation (for the rule of law).”
Germany stands by “all those who, in Turkey, defend democracy and the rule of law,” she said, adding that political change should only take place through Parliament.
Merkel said it was the right of the Turkish people to choose their political leader in free elections, and that political change should only be achieved within the framework of political institutions and the rules of democratic competition.