Turkish FM Cavusoglu meets German counterpart Maas
Turkey and Germany share a strong will to boost bilateral relations, German foreign minister said on Wednesday.
In a series of tweets ahead of his contacts in Turkey, Heiko Maas named the country as a big neighbor and significant partner to Germany.
“We have a strong will to further improve our relations,” the minister tweeted, saying that he hopes that his Turkey trip will contribute to the bilateral relations.
Mentioning Germany’s concerns on "some developments, especially human rights" in the country, Maas said the issue would be raised during the meetings.
“We should note: Our humanitarian relations with Turkey is so intense that we must continue to work very hard to ameliorate our relations,” he added.
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.
As part of his visit, Maas will be hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and meet Turkish Parliament Speaker Binali Yildirim.
Following his high-level talks in the capital, Maas is scheduled to visit Istanbul on Thursday, where he will attend a ceremony alongside his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu to mark the 150th anniversary of the German School of Istanbul.
Maas' two-day trip to Turkey comes ahead of Erdogan’s key visit to Berlin on Sept. 28-29.
EU heavyweight Germany remains Turkey’s main economic and trade partner, despite the political disagreements between the two governments on a number of issues.
Berlin’s reluctance to take serious measures against terrorist groups such as the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) has long been a source of tension between the two countries.
Both terrorist groups use Germany, which is home to more than 3 million migrants from Turkey, as a platform for their propaganda fund raising and recruitment activities.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that Moscow was keen to see four-way talks with Turkey, France and Germany take place to discuss the Syrian conflict.Ushakov said that, as far as he knows, all sides have agreed to hold the talks in Istanbul and advisers have been tasked with working out an appropriate date.Kremlin says no current plans for future Putin-Trump meetingUshakov said there were no ongoing preparations for a future meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump."We don't have any information about the preparation of such a meeting," Ushakov told journalists. The two presidents last met in Helsinki in July.Trump, without evidence, accuses social media firms of election meddlingUS, UK stand together in holding Russia accountable for Salisbury: US envoy
Kremlin says keen on Syria talks with Turkey, France, Germany
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 urges prevention of disaster in Syria’s IdlibOver 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.
Germany wants to improve ties with Turkey: FM Maas
Germany’s foreign minister Heiko Maas will pay a working visit to Turkey on Sept. 5-6, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.During his visit, Maas will meet with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and will be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Binali Yıldırım, the ministry said in a statement.“Turkish-German bilateral relations, our EU process and current regional and international issues will be on the agenda of the meetings,” the statement said.It also said Çavuşoğlu and Maas will participate in the opening ceremony of the German Lyceum’s new academic year to mark its 150th year anniversary in Istanbul.Germany urges prevention of disaster in Syria’s IdlibTurkish warships at the ready in East Med as Idlib battle looms
German FM to pay working visit to Turkey on Wednesday
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