Germany’s immigration authority has rejected more than 5,000 asylum applications filed by Turkish citizens. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) had ruled on 8,547 asylum applications in 2017 filed by Turkish citizens, and rejected 5,040 of them. German diplomats said although asylum applications by Turkish citizens had increased since last year’s failed coup attempt in Turkey, the vast majority of asylum applications were filed by citizens of Kurdish origin. The asylum applications of ex-officials involved in the attempted July 2016 military takeover in Turkey has been a source of growing tension between Ankara and Berlin.
