The German government refused to comment on press reports alleging that Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the detention of the two Greek soldiers who inadvertently crossed the border.
“As a principle, the German government doesn’t provide information on the content of the Chancellor’s confidential talks,” a government spokesperson told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), responding to a relevant question.
The spokesperson referred to a recent statement by spokesperson Steffen Seibert who, responding to a question by ANA on the escalating tension between Greece and Turkey, said Germany is interested in having as little tension as possible, or no tension, between the two countries. He also said that direct talks between the two governments have resolved problems in the past.
German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that Merkel was trying to mediate in the case, hoping to free the Greek soldiers.
