German FM to visit Türkiye for key talks

ANKARA

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is scheduled to visit the Turkish capital Ankara on Oct. 17 to discuss bilateral and regional issues, a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Oct. 15.

According to spokesperson Josef Hinterseher, Wadephul will meet his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara to discuss international developments.

The spokesperson confirmed that the talks will include the potential sale of Eurofighter jets.

“The German government has responded positively to Airbus’ preliminary request. These aircraft are intended for use within NATO for collective defense purposes,” he said.

In July, Türkiye and the U.K. signed a preliminary agreement that would allow Ankara to operate Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

The Eurofighter jets are produced by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain. Media reports said that although the U.K. and other partners have shown support for the deal, Germany had previously blocked the sale, delaying the agreement.

However, Germany has cleared the way for the delivery of 40 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye, following a positive decision by the federal security council.

"The talks will focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip, among other topics," Hinterseher added, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan.

"Following the release of the hostages, the main priority now is to quickly improve the humanitarian situation and begin implementing the next phases of the 20-point plan,” he noted.

Hinterseher said this will be the German foreign minister's first official visit to Ankara, allowing the ministers to exchange views on various international topics.

He added that the talks will also cover developments in the Middle East, the situation in neighboring Syria, the Russia-Ukraine war and a range of bilateral issues between Germany and Türkiye.