Is there a new German policy towards Erdogan? What does Berlin say to DW?

“The German government has been informed about the departure of the Turkish drilling rig Abdulhamid Khan in the Eastern Mediterranean area”. This is what the representative of the German government, Steffen Hebstreit, said this Wednesday at noon, in response to a question from Deutsche Welle regarding the attitude of the German government towards the issue, taking into account the fears of Greece and Cyprus, as well as reports and analyzes by experts in Germany regarding the possibility of escalation of tension in the region, as in the summer of 2022.

The German government representative referred to relevant statements by the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Fatih Domez. “Both the Turkish government and Turkey’s energy minister explained that the scope of the research mission (to locate natural gas deposits) falls within the limits of Turkish maritime jurisdiction. There are currently no indications that the Turkish ship is moving outside Turkish territorial waters,” said Steffen Hebstreit, stressing that the German government sees no “reason for concern” at the moment.

As for the “subjects, for which there is a dispute (between Greece and Turkey), if possible they should be discussed between these two countries”, he added.

New German policy towards Erdogan?

In a second question from DW to the German government, whether analysts’ assessments of a change in attitude in German politics and diplomacy towards Recep Tayyip Erdogan are true, the government spokesman said: “I don’t see any change”, referring to “constructive” contacts between the two countries.

The fact is, however, that after the trip of the German Foreign Minister Analena Burbok in Athens, Istanbul and Ankara and its explicit position in favor of Greece and in particular the “undeniable Greek sovereignty over the Aegean islands”, the German press talked about a possible change or even a hardening of Germany’s attitude towards Turkey.

At the time, the analyzes of the no-nonsense “style of foreign policy of Analena Burbock” were extensive, with SZ describing her, for example, as a “non-diplomatic diplomat”, while Welt spoke of a “self-evident statement” with nothing “scandalous” , noting that “logic is on Burbok’s side.”

DW – Dimitra Kyranoudis, Berlin

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