BERLIN (Sputnik) – According to the Zeit newspaper, the list, which was given to German authorities, comprises 68 individuals and organizations, including BASF and Daimler.
The companies are suspected of supporting Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic preacher living in the United States and accused by Ankara of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt. Since July, Turkey has arrested hundreds of military personnel, activists and journalists on suspicion of links with Gulen.
Relations between Turkey and a number of European countries, including Germany, have worsened recently after several pro-referendum rallies held by Turkish officials, aimed at gaining support from Turkish citizens living abroad, were canceled in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Following such bans, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared German, and later, Dutch authorities to Nazis.
