BERLIN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel has signaled her willingness to increase the economic pressure on Turkey over the dispute of the German citizens imprisoned in Turkey.

The economic contacts with Turkey have already been restricted, the Chancellor told public broadcaster MDR on Thursday. Even though she "did not want to", Merkel said she would "continue to do so."

Merkel reiterated her criticism of the course taken by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Turkey is moving away from what we consider a constitutional state," she said.

A number of German citizens have been arrested in Turkey over security authorities' accusation of supporting terrorist organizations. The German federal government and human rights organizations condemn the detentions as arbitrary.

Turkish authorities recently denied representatives of the German consulate to visit the German newspaper "Welt" correspondent Deniz Yuecel, who has been detained for over 200 days. Enditem

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