German FM Gabriel: We want to improve ties with Turkey
Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has said that Germany wants to improve ties with Turkey amid recent tensions in bilateral relations between the two allies.
Foreign Minister Gabriel said after meeting Binali Yıldırım in London on Thursday that they seek to reverse the recent deterioration in relations.
Gabriel added that the two countries needed to do more to get on better.
"We above all spoke about how we can get back to reasonable relations," Gabriel told German broadcaster ZDF.
The relations between Germany and Turkey have been recently strained over Ankara's claims that Germany turns a blind eye toward PKK terror activities within its borders, and not extraditing Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members who have sought asylum in Germany.
On Thursday, the Foreign Ministry condemned Germany's decision to accept the asylum applications of former Turkish military personnel affiliated with FETÖ, which perpetrated the July 15 failed coup attempt. The ministry, in a statement, said Germany has disregarded democratic principles by welcoming coup perpetrators and that the decision was "condemned regretfully." Saying that with this development Germany put bilateral relations at risk, the statement added that "Germany's decision [to welcome coup perpetrators] despite all evidence proving their FETÖ-links contradicts the spirit of alliance and damages multidimensional relations."
Run by its U.S.-based leader, Fetullah Gülen, FETÖ sought to topple Turkey's democratically elected government and seize power on July 15 with a military coup and impose martial law. The coup attempt resulted in death of 249 people, mostly civilians, by pro-coup soldiers, while another 2,000 were injured.
Gabriel also added that during the meeting Prime Minister Yıldırım reiterated Ankara's demands from Germany on taking concrete measures against the PKK terror group.
A recent report released by the German Interior Ministry revealed a sharp increase in offences committed last year by the PKK terrorist group, which has been outlawed in the country since 1993. In 2016, crimes committed by PKK followers in Germany increased by 97.6 percent and reached 1,597 cases, according to the report. Many of the incidents involved PKK followers violating demonstration and assembly laws, the report said.
Turkey has long criticized Germany for not taking serious measures against the PKK terror group, which is carrying out propaganda, recruitment and fundraising activities from the country.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, has more than 14,000 followers in Germany, and raised more than 13 million euros in 2015, according to reports by the German domestic intelligence agency, the BfV.
Foreign Minister Gabriel said after meeting Binali Yıldırım in London on Thursday that they seek to reverse the recent deterioration in relations.
Gabriel added that the two countries needed to do more to get on better.
"We above all spoke about how we can get back to reasonable relations," Gabriel told German broadcaster ZDF.
The relations between Germany and Turkey have been recently strained over Ankara's claims that Germany turns a blind eye toward PKK terror activities within its borders, and not extraditing Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) members who have sought asylum in Germany.
On Thursday, the Foreign Ministry condemned Germany's decision to accept the asylum applications of former Turkish military personnel affiliated with FETÖ, which perpetrated the July 15 failed coup attempt. The ministry, in a statement, said Germany has disregarded democratic principles by welcoming coup perpetrators and that the decision was "condemned regretfully." Saying that with this development Germany put bilateral relations at risk, the statement added that "Germany's decision [to welcome coup perpetrators] despite all evidence proving their FETÖ-links contradicts the spirit of alliance and damages multidimensional relations."
Run by its U.S.-based leader, Fetullah Gülen, FETÖ sought to topple Turkey's democratically elected government and seize power on July 15 with a military coup and impose martial law. The coup attempt resulted in death of 249 people, mostly civilians, by pro-coup soldiers, while another 2,000 were injured.
Gabriel also added that during the meeting Prime Minister Yıldırım reiterated Ankara's demands from Germany on taking concrete measures against the PKK terror group.
A recent report released by the German Interior Ministry revealed a sharp increase in offences committed last year by the PKK terrorist group, which has been outlawed in the country since 1993. In 2016, crimes committed by PKK followers in Germany increased by 97.6 percent and reached 1,597 cases, according to the report. Many of the incidents involved PKK followers violating demonstration and assembly laws, the report said.
Turkey has long criticized Germany for not taking serious measures against the PKK terror group, which is carrying out propaganda, recruitment and fundraising activities from the country.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, has more than 14,000 followers in Germany, and raised more than 13 million euros in 2015, according to reports by the German domestic intelligence agency, the BfV.
Last Update: May 12, 2017 19:57