Wadephul signals close partnership in Ankara
During his inaugural visit to Ankara, Foreign Minister Wadephul said he wished to open a new chapter in German–Turkish relations.
Ankara (dpa) – Germany and Turkey plan to step up their cooperation in tackling the wars and crises in the Gaza Strip in particular, but also in Ukraine and Syria. Speaking in Ankara after meeting his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said with regard to the implementation of the Gaza peace plan: “I believe cooperation between Turkey and the Federal Republic of Germany can make a crucial contribution to the future.”
He added: “I keep finding that we share a great many interests, and that’s why Turkey is and will remain not only a NATO partner for us, but also a strategic partner in all our foreign policy concerns – and a good friend.”
Wadephul praised Turkey’s role in the negotiations over US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. At the same time, in view of the fragile ceasefire, he called on Turkey to put pressure on the Islamist Hamas movement.
Fidan said that Ankara was prepared to take part in peacekeeping forces and other missions to implement the peace plan, though details were still to be clarified.