Making a Turkey of Erdogan: German TV Mocks Leader With Sarcastic Subtitles

The German NDR broadcaster continued mocking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by adding English and Turkish subtitles to the jokey video about the president after reported Turkish demand to remove the footage.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, media said the Turkish Foreign Ministry had summoned the German Ambassador Martin Erdmann to the country after the NDR's show titled "Extra 3" broadcast a satirical video about Erdogan. Erdmann responded that Germany would continue to protect freedom of press.

"He's living in grand style, big boss from Bosphorus. A showy place with a thousand rooms, built without permit in a nature preserve," the subtitles to video say. The footage also makes fun of the Erdogan's policy toward freedom of press and assembly, equal rights, as well as the Turkish role in tackling the migrant crisis and crackdown on Turkish Kurds.

"Extra 3" subsequently published a cartoon showing Erdogan holding a fire extinguisher in front of a computer and inscription "Either you extinguish this video, or I’ll extinguish the internet" on its Facebook page and a photo depicting the request to remove the video titled "Erdogan’s idea of 'TV on demand.'"

Erdogan is notorious for his reaction to criticism. According to media reports, more than 1,500 people in Turkey are being investigated for insulting the president.

Turkey's crackdown on journalists and restrictions on freedom of speech have been criticized by the international community, including the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, Russia and the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF).