Relations between Germany and Turkey are simmering on the back burner. But Presidents Steinmeier and Erdogan have a lot to say to each other in Ankara. Your conversation lasts much longer than planned.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for revitalizing German-Turkish relations, which have been on the back burner for some time. “The times are serious. And that’s precisely why we need each other,” he said in Ankara in a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “That’s why we should give new importance to German-Turkish relations.” Steinmeier emphasized: “We need each other.” This applies, for example, to NATO and the group of G20 countries.
Steinmeier made it clear that he and Erdogan have spoken openly about the differences in their assessment of the Middle East war since the terrorist Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th last year. “I am convinced that without October 7th there would be no war in the Middle East.”
Emphasis on common goals
But above all, common goals were affirmed, said Steinmeier. “We want and must improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We want and must prevent the war from escalating into a conflagration in the region. Turkey also has a very important role to play in this.” They also agree that without a perspective for the Palestinians there will be no peace and lasting security for Israel in the medium and long term. “This is also what unites us: In the end, this political perspective can only lie in the two-state solution.”
Erdogan welcomed his guest from Germany in the early afternoon with military honors including a gun salute. The subsequent private conversation lasted considerably longer than planned. Actually, 30 minutes were allotted for this – in the end both presidents spoke to each other for an hour and 45 minutes.
Source: Stern
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