Response from Istanbul

With the major Ukraine Support Summit taking place in a week at the US Ramstein base in Germany, attended by President Biden, Chancellor Scholz and many other NATO leaders and allies, Ankara has so far not announced her participation. However, the newspaper Miliet is circulating today with the news that Chancellor Soltz is going to visit Ankara in October. The article highlights the two countries’ close ties on economic and social issues, despite their disagreements on foreign policy and German support for anti-Turkey terrorist organizations such as Fethullah Gulen and the PKK. The article highlighted German President Steinmeier’s visit in April to mark the 100th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. The last meeting between Erdogan and Chancellor Soltz took place at the “Turkish House” in New York on September 23 as part of the UN Week.

Milliet attributes the source of the information about Solz’s visit to Ankara to Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat who attended the 5th Session of the Turkey-Germany Joint Economic and Trade Committee with German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy Robert Habeck in Berlin on September 28. Bolat announced that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Turkey in October. During the visit, according to Miliet, regional issues will be discussed, in particular the Israeli attacks and the Russia-Ukraine war, the process of Turkey’s full integration into the EU, the update of the Customs Union agreement and the liberalization of entry visas for Turkish citizens. An expedited procedure for “fast track” visas for businessmen is being considered. Her focus is on the German sanctions on the Turkish defense industry, particularly on Turkey’s purchase of the Eurofighter.