Türkiye our strategic partner at NATO, says German top diplomat

ANKARA

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul has described Türkiye as a strategic partner playing a key role in ending both the war in Gaza and the Russian occupation of Ukraine during his visit to Ankara as the guest of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan and Wadephul held lengthy talks in the Turkish capital on Oct. 17, which covered both multidimensional bilateral economic, trade and energy ties and regional and global developments.

“We regard Türkiye as a key strategic partner within the NATO Alliance, which is why Russia – the greatest threat facing NATO – and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine will be among the important issues on the agenda. Our shared goal is to ensure that this war ends soon,” Wadephul said in a brief statement before his talks with Fidan.

“To achieve that, we also have to dry up the revenue flowing into Russia’s war coffers even more quickly. As custodian of the Montreux Convention, Türkiye has direct responsibility for access to the Black Sea. Furthermore, Istanbul is a key city where negotiations could be held,” he underlined.

He also touched on the recent deal that ended the two-year-long armed conflict between Israel and Hamas, during which Türkiye played a key role.

“Through its mediator role in the Middle East conflict, Türkiye helped bring about the historic ceasefire for Gaza. As one of the supporters of the peace plan – and as a country which we expect to continue exerting pressure on Hamas – Türkiye has a responsible role to play,” the minister suggested.

Wadephul suggested that there is great potential for cooperation in the field of foreign policy, saying, “Together, we are pressing for full access for the humanitarian actors in order to alleviate the worst hardship. Together we are working to ensure that the 20-point plan for lasting peace is implemented in its entirety.”

Fidan: Visa-waiver talks should begin

At a press conference following the meeting, Fidan said they discussed Türkiye-EU ties in detail and expressed his expectation for the immediate start of the negotiations for the modernization of the custom unions.

“We are waiting Germany’s support to this end. Other issue crucial on Türkiye-EU ties is the revival of visa liberalization dialogue. There are few things Türkiye has to fulfill and we have concluded our internal job,” Fidan said, referring to the criteria needed to grant visa-waiver to Turkish nationals.

Fidan mentioned security cooperation with EU and reiterated Ankara’s expectation to be actively part of the SAFE program of Brussels, which aims to support production of defense industry products thanks to a 150 billion euro financial instrument.

He also noted that Türkiye will continue to provide relief to the war-torn Gaza and hope for the Palestinian people.

"Türkiye will continue to be a breath for Gaza and a hope for Palestine. We will also continue to actively support efforts to rebuild Gaza,” Fidan said.

“Every building that rises in Gaza will be a work of humanity’s collective conscience. Our ultimate goal is to implement a two-state solution and to establish a Middle East where peace and prosperity prevail despite all the suffering,” Fidan added.

Ankara increased aid efforts immediately after the ceasefire was established, he said, stressing that humanitarian aid in Gaza must be long-term and systematic.

During their meetings with Wadephul, Fidan said Ankara and Berlin confirmed their expectation that the ceasefire in Gaza would continue, humanitarian aid would reach those in need without interruption, and the war would come to an end permanently.

The Turkish foreign minister added that implementing a two-state solution is a fundamental step toward lasting peace in the region.

He emphasized the importance of European countries, particularly Germany, taking constructive steps to address Palestinian issues and Gaza.

"Türkiye has fulfilled its responsibilities in implementing the agreement reached and is fully prepared to do even more going forward," he said, adding that within this framework, there is a clear determination on the part of the Turkish president to participate in the implementation of issues such as the "task force, peace council, or international stabilization force," as they come into effect.

Chancellor Werz to visit Türkiye soon

In the meantime, German Chancellor Friedrich Werz is scheduled to pay a formal visit to Türkiye in the next few weeks to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, diplomatic sources informed.

The talks between Wadephul and Fidan did also focus on the preparations for the meeting between Werz and Erdoğan. They covered bilateral economic and trade ties and emphasized the need for developing strategic relationship in the field of energy and mining.

The two ministers reviewed the current state of ties between Türkiye and the European Union amid the former’s expectation of granting visa liberalization to Turkish nationals and starting negotiations for upgrading customs union.

On security cooperation, Fidan and Wadephul discussed Türkiye’s plans to acquire 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jetfighters from Germany-Italy-Spain-England consortium and to be part of the EU’s SAFE program for boosting European defense industry production.