German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to visit Turkey next week to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Scholz will visit Ankara on Monday, March 14, sources said Wednesday.

This will be Scholz's first visit to Turkey.

Ankara and Berlin are major trading partners, as Germany has been a top Turkish import and export destination for decades. The two countries also share deep cultural ties due to the 5-million-strong Turkish diaspora in Germany. Turkey is among the top tourism destinations for Germans. It also hosts thousands of German expatriates.

Scholz was sworn in as Germany's new chancellor on Dec. 8, after his Social Democratic Party (SPD) reached a coalition agreement with the Greens and Free Democrats (FDP).