Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel meet at the presidential palace during the first visit since July's failed coup in Ankara, Turkey, February 2, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government believes the Turkish government has heard its pleas not to use Nazi comparisons in an escalating row about appearances by Turkish politicians in Germany, a spokesman for the German foreign ministry said on Friday.

On Thursday Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkey to stop invoking Berlin’s Nazi past in criticizing cancellations of Turkish ministers’ rallies in Germany. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has delivered a similar message to his Turkish counterpart.