Turkish FM Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Germany will be "a milestone to open a new page" in bilateral relations, the Turkish foreign minister said on Thursday.
Erdoğan arrived in Berlin on Thursday for a three-day high-profile state visit aiming to improve political and economic relations between the two countries.
During his visit, Erdoğan will meet his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier and will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also said the Idlib agreement between Turkey and Russia was "an achievement of Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was also supported by Iran".
On Sept. 17, Turkey and Russia agreed on a demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib.
Turkey and Russia also signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the "stabilization" of Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.
Under the pact, opposition groups in Idlib are to remain in areas where they are already present, while Russia and Turkey will carry out joint patrols in the area to ward off renewed fighting.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Berlin on Thursday for his first “state visit” to Germany as president.Senior German officials welcomed the president and the first lady Emine Erdogan at the military section of Berlin's Tegel Airport.Turkish president is accompanied by key ministers during the visit, including economy, finance, trade and industry ministers.
President Erdoğan arrives in Germany for state visit
"We have received strong support from everybody we have met. Even in the meetings that we did not attend, everybody including [U.S. President Donald] Trump thanked Turkey," Çavuşoğlu added.
"The U.S. has cut aids to UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees [UNRWA]. Turkey is collaborating with other countries to meet the deficit," Çavuşoğlu added.
On Aug. 31, Washington cut all its funding to UNRWA, to which the U.S. had been -- by far -- the largest contributor.
Established in 1949, UNRWA provides critical aid to Palestinian refugees in the blockaded Gaza Strip, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Germany’s interior minister on Thursday hailed Turkey as an important counterterror partner.Horst Seehofer met his Turkish counterpart Süleyman Soylu in Berlin, ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday.“Today I have met my Turkish counterpart for the first time. We had a constructive exchange on further steps in our cooperation,” Seehofer wrote on Twitter, following the meeting.“For us, Turkey is an important partner in fight against terrorism,” he stressed.Erdoğan arrives in Germany for first state visitRelations between Ankara and Berlin have suffered setbacks in past years, but both sides have taken steps in recent months towards improving ties.Seehofer, who also leads the Christian Social Union (CSU), a sister party of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), has been an influential figure in the government.Soylu is accompanying Turkish President Erdoğan in his three-day state visit to Germany.Ahead of his official talks in Berlin, Erdoğan called on German authorities to show more solidarity with Turkey in its fight against outlawed and terrorist groups.“We expect Germany to extend its support to Turkey in its fight against terrorist groups such as FETÖ, PKK and DHKP-C, which are also a threat to Germany’s domestic security and target German citizens,” the president said.Germany’s reluctance to take serious measures against terrorist groups such as the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) has been a source of tension between the two countries in the last two years.Both terrorist groups use Germany, which is home to more than three million migrants from Turkey, as a platform for their propaganda fundraising and recruitment activities.
Turkey important counter-terror partner, Germany says
Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived at Germany’s Tegel Airport in Berlin on Thursday for his first state visit as president.Erdoğan was welcomed by senior German officials, and was welcomed by an honor guard and a 21-gun salute.Video: President Erdoğan arrives in Germany for state visitThe president is accompanied by First Lady Emine Erdoğan, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Customs and Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Communication Chief Fahrettin Altun and Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman Ömer Çelik.During his three-day visit, Erdoğan will meet his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier and will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.Germany says Turkey is important partner for us, EuropeHe is scheduled to meet with representatives of the Turkish community and the CEOs of major German companies, separately.Developments in Syria, cooperation in addressing the refugee crisis and economic and trade relations between Turkey and Germany will be among the topics on the agenda.EU heavyweight Germany remains Turkey’s main economic and trade partner. In 2017, bilateral trade volume reached €37.6 billion ($43.6 billion).Germany prepares for Turkish President Erdoğan’s visitSecurity tightened in BerlinGerman authorities have raised security measures to the highest level, 1 , in Berlin’s city center ahead of Erdoğan’s visit.Berlin police announced Thursday that around 4,200 police officers would be deployed in Berlin to ensure the security during the visit.Main streets in government district were closed as part of the security arrangements.Following his official meetings in Berlin, Erdoğan will travel on Saturday to the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which has a large Turkish immigrant population.In Cologne, Erdoğan will attend the inauguration ceremony of Cologne Central Mosque, run by Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs.Video: Erdoğan to inaugurate one of Europe’s largest mosques in Germany
Erdoğan arrives in Germany for first state visit
Turkey’s president has called for opening a fresh page in Turkish-German relations amid an era of new global challenges.“The dramatic developments in the world make it indispensable for both Germany and Turkey to open a new page in bilateral relations, to leave aside their differences and focus on their common interests,” Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote in an article published Wednesday in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on the eve of his arrival in Germany.Erdoğan said both countries face similar challenges and threats such as terrorism, irregular refugee movements and trade wars.“We are obliged to enhance our relations based on our mutual interests, in a reasonable way,” he stressed.“Let us concentrate on our common interests, the common challenges and threats we face. With respect to our disagreements, we should keep all dialogue channels open, continue our exchanges, and by showing maximum empathy, we should try to understand our mutual sensitivities,” he added.Erdoğan will arrive in Germany on Thursday for a high-profile state visit aiming to improve political and economic ties between the two countries.During his three-day visit, Erdoğan will meet his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier and will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.In his article, President Erdoğan renewed his call on German authorities to show more solidarity with Turkey in its fight against outlawed and terrorist groups.Germany says Turkey is important partner for us, Europe“We expect Germany to extend its support to Turkey in its fight against terrorist groups such as FETÖ, PKK and DHKP-C, which are also a threat to Germany’s domestic security and target German citizens,” he said.He also warned against the propaganda activities of PKK and FETÖ followers in Germany.“The PKK and FETÖ members and their organizations are using various instruments, including manipulations and fake news, to sabotage our bilateral relations,” he said.Germany’s reluctance to take serious measures against terrorist groups such as the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) has been a source of tension between the two countries in the last two years. Germany prepares for Turkish President Erdoğan’s visitBoth terrorist groups use Germany, which is home to more than 3 million migrants from Turkey, as a platform for their propaganda fundraising and recruitment activities.Relations between Ankara and Berlin have suffered setbacks in past years, but both sides have taken steps in recent months towards improving ties.Erdoğan will be accompanied by key aides during his visit, including the ministers responsible for the economy, finance, trade, and industry.EU heavyweight Germany remains Turkey’s main economic and trade partner. In 2017, the bilateral trade volume reached €37.6 billion ($43.6 billion).Erdoğan to inaugurate mosque in Germany on Saturday
Erdoğan urges fresh start in Turkish-German relations