German minister says there’s nothing to regret about report describing Turkey as a hub for Islamists

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere is defending a leaked government report alleging Turkey was a hub for Islamist groups, a charge that has further strained tensions with Ankara, a key partner in efforts to stem mass migration.

Turkey and Germany have had a series of disputes in recent months, just as the European Union has been trying to secure Turkey’s help in tackling the influx of migrants to Europe, of which Germany has taken in the bulk.

Ankara has also been incensed by criticism from the West of its crackdown following a failed coup attempt on July 15.

The government report, disclosed by German public broadcaster ARD this week, said Turkey had become a hub for Islamist groups and that President Tayyip Erdogan had an “ideological affinity” to Hamas in Gaza, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and groups of armed Islamist opposition in Syria.

ARD said the report was confidential and commissioned by the Interior Ministry upon a parliamentary request from the leftist Linke party.

De Maiziere told German regional broadcaster rbb on Wednesday: “There’s nothing to regret,” when asked if he regretted the paper. He said the report showed one aspect of Turkey but that there were other aspects beyond that.