BERLIN/ANKARA (Own report) - The German government has sought to reach new agreements on strategies involving Syria and Ukraine in several meetings with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkey. Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minster Steinmeier met with Prime Minister Erdoğan yesterday. Steinmeier had already received his counterpart Davutoğlu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. Because of rivalry with Moscow over influence on Kiev, one of the topics of discussion in Berlin is Ankara's possible "financial contributions" to the Ukraine. Turkey is holding talks with Iran on the war in Syria, obviously designed to complement the "P5+1" negotiations with Iran - which include Germany. Ankara is also intensifying its cooperation with the autonomous government of Kurdish Northern Iraq. Should Syria disintegrate, it could expedite the territorial reorganization of the region, particularly of the Kurdish speaking territories. To secure its influence on Turkey's foreign policy, Berlin had initiated a "strategic dialogue" with Ankara last year, which should now be put to the test in relationship to the Ukraine and Syria.

A Glance at the Map

Beyond the usual polemics over Turkey's potential EU membership, Berlin has been trying to enhance its influence on Ankara - for reasons of foreign policy. "A glance at the map" and one can see "the importance of Turkey's geostrategically very prominent position," explained German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a signed article, which appeared in the Turkish press on the weekend. His remark refers particularly to Syria, at Turkey's southern border, but more generally to the Turkish government's other activities to win influence in the Middle East. Turkey has intensified these activities over the past few years. This is why last spring, Germany initiated the "strategic dialogue" with Turkey, with regular meetings of both countries' foreign ministers, and to seek closer cooperation between the foreign ministries in Berlin and Ankara.[1] Preceding the German Chancellor's meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister, on Tuesday, Frank-Walter Steinmeier had held talks with his counterpart, Ahmet Davutoğlu, on Monday. The talks were also focused on the war in Syria and developments in the Ukraine.

Support against Moscow

In the effort to push back Russia's influence on Kiev, Berlin is mobilizing all possible resources and would like to have more support from Ankara. Turkey and the Ukraine, two important countries at the Black Sea, are already cooperating in the so called War on Terror as well as in police and border control measures. Last fall, they decided to intensify this cooperation. This is also to provide Kiev an additional margin of maneuver in its relations with Moscow, while NATO-member Turkey seeks to reinforce its own position in the Black Sea. This is why Berlin proposed that Turkey be induced to help in financing the steps that support the imposition of an alignment on the West. The relevant "financial aid" is being discussed in Berlin, Brussels and in Washington since last weekend. This aid is aimed at preempting Russia's support for the Ukraine.

Middle East Support

These German efforts are, above all, aimed at winning influence in Turkey's policy on the Middle East - a region, where Ankara has developed extensive activities over the past few years. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[2]) This applies particularly to Syria, where, since 2011, the Turkish government, alongside leading Western powers, including Germany, has been using every possible means to overthrow the government of Bashar al Assad.[3] Among the fruits of this cooperation are the Bundeswehr's Patriot missile batteries stationed in Turkey. Last week, the German Bundestag voted - with votes from the Green Party - a prolongation of the mission. Far-reaching consequences are expected in Syrian developments, which are particularly dependent on two fields of Turkish foreign policy activities: the developments in the region's Kurdish-speaking territories and Ankara's relationship to Teheran. Berlin is, at least indirectly, involved in both.

"Greater Kurdistan"

Concerning the region's Kurdish-speaking territories, the focus is also on the Kurdish Northern Iraq, currently ruled by the Barzani clan. The clan and its leader, Masud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, have maintained contacts to the Federal Republic of Germany since the 1980s, particularly to the CDU and CSU parties. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[4]) However, German interest in the enormous oil and gas deposits in "Iraqi Kurdistan" predates Nechirvan Barzani's speaking appearance March 20, 2013, at the CDU - CSU Parliamentary "4th Raw Materials Congress" in Berlin. Nechirvan is Masud's nephew and Prime Minister of the autonomous region of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. Among the other speakers at the Congress were the Board Chair of the E.ON Ruhrgas AG and the CEO of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). The autonomous region of Kurdistan, under the reign of Masud and Nechirvan Barzani, recently began to pipe oil and gas to Turkey. Turkey plans to consume a portion of these raw materials and to sell the rest on the international market. The Iraqi government in Baghdad has protested this unauthorized action by the Kurdish Regional Government and is taken steps against it. This is particularly significant, because, since last year, strategists have been considering permanently detaching the Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish territories from their respective nation states, with which they currently have only informal ties, to be united with the Turkish Kurdish territory, forming a sort of "Greater Kurdistan Province" under Turkish sovereignty. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[5]) It is absolutely uncertain whether the numerous contradictions confronting such a project can be resolved. This option, which, in any case, has won popularity in Ankara, casts a shadow over the current debate.

The Deal with Iran

In Berlin, at the meetings with Erdoğan and his Foreign Minister, Erdoğan's recent talks in Teheran, which evidently complement the "P5+1" negotiation with Iran, must have been discussed. The "P5+1" refers to the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council + Germany. Turkey has been providing massive support to the opponents of the Syrian government, according to reports even to Salafist militia, while Iran lends its support to its ally the Bashar al Assad government in Syria. According to Turkey's President, Abdullah Gül, progress made in the "P5+1" negotiations is also facilitating "alternative" solutions for the proxy war in Syria: "If Turkey can be in close and sincere cooperation with Iran on Syria, we can come up with proposals to the international community, and the Western world can take our proposals seriously."[6] Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan's January 29 talks in Teheran were not about "economies, treaties and bilateral relations" but rather "about Syria, Syria and Syria."[7] Talks in Berlin, over the past few days, may have revolved around how to incorporate the results of these talks into the "P5+1" negotiation with Teheran.

Other reports and background information on Germany's policy toward Turkey can be found here: The New Partners in Ankara (II) and Come to Us, Friends!.

[1] "Die Türkei, ein unverzichtbarer Partner". www.auswaertiges-amt.de 01.02.2014.

[2] See Die neuen Partner in Ankara (I), The New Partners in Ankara (II) and Come to Us, Friends!.

[3] See Verdeckte Kriegspartei and Air Defense for the Exile Leadership.

[4] See Middle East Partnership Cultivation.

[5] See Brücke in die islamische Welt and The End of Artificial Borders.

[6] Kadri Gursel: Gul proposes Turkey-Iran cooperation in Syria. www.al-monitor.com 03.02.2014.

[7] Ali Hashem: Erdogan discusses Syria policy in visit to Iran. www.al-monitor.com 30.01.2014.