German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer
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.
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
Relations 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.