President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has emphasized the need for increased solidarity from Germany in combating terrorism.
Erdoğan’s call for enhanced cooperation came to light during a press conference following a meeting with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in the capital Ankara on April 24.
The talks, covered a spectrum of regional and global issues, along with bilateral relations, underscored the imperative for joint efforts in addressing pressing security concerns.
“We have intense relations in every field, from security to economy. We aim to increase the volume of economic relations from $50 billion to $60 billion, and we want to remove the restrictions in the defense industry from our agenda,” Erdoğan stated. “We hope we will no longer talk about obstacles but about joint production.”
Touching upon the issue of counterterrorism, Erdoğan stressed the necessity for more effective cooperation.
“We need more effective cooperation. I expressed that we expect solidarity,” he said.
The discussions also broached Türkiye-EU relations and deliberations on Ankara’s accession process to the bloc, which has been largely stalled since 2016. Erdoğan’s recommendation of the country’s membership talks as a prerequisite for ratifying Sweden’s NATO bid thrust Türkiye’s accession process back into the spotlight.
The formal negotiations started between Türkiye and the EU for the former’s joining the 27-member club in 2005, but the process has de facto been suspended by Brussels due to the country’s inability to fulfill the required membership criteria.
Furthermore, amid escalating tensions in the region, Erdoğan addressed the conflict in Gaza, urging an end to “oppression and condemning efforts to sideline discussions on the matter.”
The president underscored the necessity for concerted efforts to alleviate escalating tensions, citing recent hostilities between Israel and Iran as a stark example.
Earlier in the day, Steinmeier paid homage to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk by visiting Anıtkabir, the mausoleum dedicated to the founder of modern Türkiye.
Signing the guest book, Steinmeier hailed Atatürk’s vision of Europe, which laid the groundwork for a century of enduring friendship between Germany and Türkiye.
“It is a great honor for me to visit the Turkish Republic as the president of Germany and to pay my deep respects to the founder of this state, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,” Steinmeier inscribed in the notebook.
hurriyetdailynews.com