Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made a brief visit to Germany at a time of tension over the two countries' very different positions on the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Erdogan met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace on November 17, before attending a working dinner with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The two discussed a range of regional and global issues, including the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Ahead of his visit to Berlin, the Turkish leader harshly criticized Western countries for providing full support to the Israeli government but turning a blind eye to the tragedy in Gaza.
Germany, meanwhile, is a staunch ally of Israel. Chancellor Scholz has repeatedly said that Israel has the right to defend itself, and has opposed calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, arguing that this would give Hamas a break.
Israel has carried out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since Hamas launched a cross-border offensive on October 7. At least 11,500 Palestinians have been killed since then, including more than 7,800 women and children, and more than 29,200 have been injured, according to the latest figures from the Palestinian Authority.
Türkiye has long been seen as an “inconvenient but necessary” partner in Germany, home to the largest Turkish community abroad, with many of its supporters including former international footballer Mesut Ozil, who has taken German citizenship.
German-Turkish relations are often bumpy and difficult, but Berlin does not deny Ankara's role in resolving thorny issues.
From brokering grain shipments out of Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia, to negotiating a key deal to ease the flow of refugees and migrants to Europe in 2015-2016, the NATO member has proven itself to be a vital middle power.
The visit on November 17, 2023 is the first visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Germany since 2020 when Angela Merkel was Chancellor. The German-Turkish relationship is often bumpy and difficult, but the two sides still need each other. Photo: Ahval News
A bright spot in bilateral relations is the steady improvement in economic cooperation between Germany and Türkiye. For many years, Germany has been ranked as one of Türkiye's largest trading partners and leading foreign investors.
According to the German Foreign Ministry, bilateral trade between the two countries “reached a record high” of 51.6 billion euros in 2022. Compared to the previous year, Turkish exports to Germany increased by 26.7% to 24.6 billion euros, and Turkish imports from Germany increased by a third to 27 billion euros.
Germany remains the most important destination for Turkish exports. The Turkish Exporters Association (TIM) estimates that the Eurasian nation exported goods worth the equivalent of 14.5 billion euros to Germany by the end of October this year. These goods mainly include products for the automotive industry, textiles, food, boilers and intermediate goods made of iron, steel and aluminum.
Türkiye mainly imports machinery, vehicles, plastic products, aircraft, chemicals and medical equipment from Germany. Only Russia and China supply more goods to Türkiye than Germany.
Ayhan Zeytinoglu, chairman of the Istanbul-based Economic Development Fund (IKV), said German-Turkish economic relations have deep roots and are crisis-resistant.
“Among Türkiye’s largest trading partners, Germany ranks first. We have a significant trade deficit with Russia and China, but we have a balanced relationship with Germany,” Zeytinoglu said.
The expert believes that Germany and Turkey need each other. “Turkey can benefit from Germany’s financial and technological strength, and Germany can benefit from Turkey’s geopolitical strength. Together, we can create a new synergy,” he said .
Minh Duc (According to DW, AP, Anadolu Agency)
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