“Internal conflicts of Turkey have no place in Germany. Election appearances which endanger domestic peace in our country should be banned,” she said in a press release.
Saarland, which is one of Germany’s smallest federal states, has taken the controversial decision ahead of state elections on March 26.
The state bordering France has a small Turkish community. Nevertheless, it has become the first federal state imposing such a general ban.
Nearly 3 million Turkish immigrants live in Germany and around half are eligible to vote in Turkey’s April 16 referendum on the proposed constitutional change for a transition to a presidential system.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has so far rejected calls by opposition parties for a general ban on campaign rallies by Turkish politicians, provided that German laws and regulations are respected.
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