German FM Heiko Maas
Germany wants to improve relations with Turkey and enhance cooperation on issues of common interest, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said ahead of his talks in Ankara on Wednesday.
"Germany has a strategic interest in reshaping our relations with Turkey in a constructive way. Turkey is not only a big neighbor of us but also an important partner of Germany," he said in a statement.
Maas is scheduled to meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and other senior officials on Wednesday in the capital Ankara.
Germany has urged the international community to act against a humanitarian disaster in the Syrian province of Idlib amid reports of a potential military offensive by the regime forces.“We will do everything to prevent a humanitarian disaster in Idlib,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told a news conference in Berlin on Monday.“This will be one of the main topics during my visit to Turkey on Wednesday and Thursday,” he added.Located near the Turkish border, Idlib is home to more than 3 million Syrian people, many of whom fled from other cities which were attacked by the Assad regime’s forces.Trump warns Assad against ‘recklessly attacking’ Idlib“We have witnessed the brutality of the Assad regime in the past … it is a very, very serious situation,” Maas said.He also warned that a military escalation would severely undermine ongoing efforts for a political solution to the seven years of civil war in Syria.
Germany urges prevention of disaster in Syria’s Idlib
Over the past two years, political relations between Ankara and Berlin have suffered setbacks, but in recent months both sides have taken steps towards improving ties.
Maas' trip to Turkey comes ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s key visit to Berlin on Sept. 28-29.
EU heavyweight Germany remains Turkey’s main economic and trade partner, despite political disagreements between the two governments on a number of issues.