Almost 200 Turks with diplomatic passports have been granted asylum in Germany since a failed putsch attempt in Turkey in 2016, the German interior ministry has said on Tuesday.
Of 249 applicants with diplomatic passports, 196 people were allowed to stay.
The number of members of the Turkish military that have been granted asylum is not listed.
The number of asylum seekers from Turkey is generally on the rise, according to the ministry’s figures.
In August 962 applied, while in July and June the number of applications was 620 and 433 respectively.
Left Party member, Sevim Dagdelen, criticised the high number of asylum approvals.
“It doesn’t make sense that on the one hand 196 Turkish diplomats get asylum in Germany, while at the same time relations with this NATO nation and EU candidate country continue as usual,” she said.
Earlier this month, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning for Germany, cautioning citizens to be prudent while in the country, citing rising racism in Germany’s election campaign.
Tensions have been worsening between the two countries of late, especially since a referendum campaign this year in Turkey to expand the powers of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
At that time, German officials blocked some of the Turkish president’s rallies from being conducted in their country. (NAN)