Berlin should resolve problems with Ankara: Merkel aide

BERLIN

Solving problems between Germany and Turkey is in the interests of both sides, and officials continue discussions on concrete issues, a close aide of Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

Peter Altmaier, a senior Conservative politician who heads the Federal Chancellory and serves as the federal minister for special tasks, made the remarks during a visit to the Turkish Embassy in Berlin.

“2017 has been a difficult year for German-Turkish relations. Now we are talking and discussing very concrete issues with our counterparts.

“We all have an interest in finding solutions,” he told reporters at the embassy, where he visited a photo exhibit on Ottoman-German relations in the 19th century.

Altmaier stressed that Germany and Turkey have a century-plus history of ties, calling the exhibit a good example of their multifaceted relationship.

He stressed that despite political differences between Berlin and Ankara on several foreign policy and domestic issues, Turkey remains an important country.

“We as Europeans have an interest to contribute, together with Turkey, to peace and stability in the Middle East,” he stressed.

Ties and strains

Ties between Ankara and Berlin have been strained since the foiled coup attempt in Turkey last year, as Turkish leaders slammed Germany for not showing strong solidarity with the government.

Turkish politicians also accused Germany of turning a blind eye to the activities of outlawed groups and terrorist groups hostile to Turkey.

German politicians on the other hand stepped up their criticisms of Ankara, especially before their general elections in September, over the arrest of around a dozen German citizens, including a reporter, a translator, and a human rights activist, on suspicion of aiding and abetting terrorist groups.

Turkish officials repeatedly underlined the independence of the Turkish judiciary and denied any political influence over cases involving German citizens.

German politicians also raised concerns over human rights issues amid sweeping probes by Turkish authorities after the foiled coup attempt of July 2016.

Nearly 80,000 civil servants have been suspended from duty for suspected ties to the FETO terrorist group and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, who orchestrated the defeated coup, which took 250 lives and wounded some 2,200 people.

The group is listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, and is suspected of being behind a long-running campaign to control the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Germany, which is home to 3 million Turkish immigrants, is among the countries where FETO loyalists have managed to organize a large network, including dozens of businesses, private schools, and media organizations.

Nearly 4,000 suspected FETO members have come to Germany since last year's coup attempt, according to group members' statements on local media.

Over Ankara’s objections, dozens of suspected FETO members, including former soldiers and officials, have been granted asylum by German authorities.

Apart from FETO, the continued activities of the terrorist PKK group in Germany have caused friction between Ankara and Berlin.

Turkey has long demanded stricter measures against the PKK’s propaganda, recruitment, and fund-raising activities in Germany.

The group has nearly 14,000 followers among Germany’s Kurdish immigrant population, according to German domestic intelligence agency BfV.