Germany worried about press freedom in Turkey

German government officials have expressed concern about the state of press freedom in Turkey.

Turkish police stormed the headquarters of the country's largest-circulation newspaper, Zaman, on Friday as part of an intensified crackdown on the opposition.

A spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she raised the issue of human rights during a meeting on Sunday in Brussels with Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Christiane Wirtz said "press freedom comes up as an issue with Turkey on a regular basis".

German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said countries wanting to join the European Union, including Turkey, "should be expected to have a common understanding of basic rights and civil liberties in Europe".

Turkey has become a key partner in EU efforts to stem the flow of migrants coming to Europe.