Merkel vows support to Turkey’s economy

BERLIN - Anadolu Agency

Germany has a “strategic interest” in a sound economic development in Turkey, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sept.6

In an interview with German RTL television, Merkel said Germany and Turkey should enhance dialogue and cooperation, despite their differences on a number of political topics.

“Germany has a strategic interest in a sound economic development in Turkey. If we behave in a way that would weaken Turkey that would not be in our interest,” she said.

Merkel’s remarks came amid media reports that Berlin was searching for ways to assist Turkey to overcome current economic hardships.

Merkel also dismissed criticism by German opposition parties on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s planned visit to Berlin on Sept. 28-29.

“We cannot always think of the world in black and white terms. That is not the reality,” she said.

Intensified talks between Berlin and Ankara are important to overcome current problems, she added.

Merkel underlined that German-Turkish relations were “special” thanks to more than 3 million people of Turkish origin living in Germany.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas paid a visit to Turkey on Sept. 5-6 for talks with Erdoğan and his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Maas and Çavuşoğlu attended a ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of the German School of Istanbul.

“We have been talking about deepening Turkish-German relations through cooperation,” Maas said at the ceremony.