RIA Novosti reports, referring to the interview of the minister to the Bild newspaper, that German Foreign Minister Zigmar Gabriel stated that Turkey will not become a member of the EU during the reign of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said: "This does not mean that we do not want them, but the Turkish government under Erdogan is rapidly moving in the opposite direction from what Europe is ... It is absolutely clear that Turkey will not become a member of the EU in this state".
Erdogan earlier, urging not to vote in the German elections for parties friendly to the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, said that they are "enemies of Turkey".
Sigmar Gabriel commented on the statement of the President of Turkey. He called Erdogan's words a unique act of interference in sovereignty.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in turn, reacted sharply to the words of German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel about interference in the affairs of the country and advised him to "know his place".