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Turkey indulges in schadenfreude as German right triumphs

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says mainstream German politicians paid a price for dragging Turkey into their campaign, but he may find the new government in Berlin even more reluctant to mend ties with Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference to present the outcome of the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg, Germany July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt - RC16DD9E0310

Turkey officials may be gloating after a German election this week ushered into parliament a right-wing party for the first time in six decades, but the results will also make Ankara’s efforts to repair frayed relations with Europe even trickier.

Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in Sunday's parliamentary elections, but her victory was overshadowed by the record 13.5% votes for the anti-Muslim Alternative for Germany (AfD). Unease with immigration as well as tensions with Turkey were central in the AfD’s surge.

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