Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Tuesday said Ankara was playing the role of the victim with its broadsides against NATO allies, as it seeks to galvanise support ahead of a key referendum.

"The statements from Turkey are... absurd, have no real foundation, and have the sole aim of putting Turkey in a victim's role in order to build solidarity" among voters, he said, a day after Ankara accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of "supporting terrorists".