Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Germany on Sunday for its practices reminiscent of the Nazi era after Germany barred Turkish ministers and government officials from attending rallies gathering Turkish citizens in that country, organized within the framework of the constitutional reform referendum scheduled on April 16.

Axar.az reports that, speaking during an event organized by the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) in Istanbul, Erdoğan said German authorities think that by preventing Turkish ministers from meeting Turkish nationals living in that country German authorities vainly hope that the ''Yes'' votes in the upcoming April 16 referendum will turn into ''No'' votes.

''Germany has gone astray from the path of democracy, its current practices have nothing to do with democracy and even comparable with those of the Nazi regime,'' the Turkish president also said.

''We used to believe that Germany had left its Nazi experience aside, but revivalists prove us wrong. We don't want to see the resurgence of the Nazism in Germany,'' Erdoğan added.

Last Thursday, German authorities had banned Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ's meeting with Turks in the western German town of Gaggenau, citing poor excuses such inadequacy of the meeting hall and parking slots.

Bozdağ strongly condemned the decision, saying that it was a purely fascistic practice.

Despite strong reactions by Turkish politicians, Gaggenau Mayor Michael Pfeiffer said the decision was not a political one.

The German decision had drawn unified condemnation in Turkey.

Main opposition CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu condemned the decision, saying the decision was not acceptable. "This is not right at all. You teach the world about democracy, but then you go ahead and ban two ministers from talking for this or that reason. We do not find this right at all.''

MHP group deputy chairman, Erkan Akçay, condemned "German executives who show this attitude," while also noting that it was "wrong in every way" to prevent ministers from meeting their citizens. "Germany has to give up this wrong attitude as soon as possible,'' he also said.