The Turkish side is trying to reduce tensions in German-Turkish relations after Berlin said it will tighten economic policy towards Ankara
The Turkish authorities have attempted to reduce tensions with Germany after the latter had promised to revise the economic policy, credit and investment programs against Ankara. In practice, this decision means that German businessmen will no longer be able to receive from the state insurance compensation for their investments in Turkey.
Saturday, July 29, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Mehmet Shimshek (Mehmet Şimşek) in an interview with Der Spiegel said that the business environment in Turkey will remain an open, liberal and reliable for investors. According to Simsek, information that in respect of the German companies under investigation, is erroneous. However, he confirmed that earlier official Ankara addressed in the Interpol with the request to identify the relationship of several companies operating in the Turkish market, with the organization of the Turkish theologian Fethullah Gulen (Fethullah Gülen) FETO, which is recognized in Turkey as a terrorist and which the authorities accused of organizing the coup attempt in July last year.
According to Simsek, the Ministry did not set ourselves the task to collect information on foreign partners of these companies. “It was about 9800 firms, probably related, led by Fethullah gülen. We were interested in the relationships of these firms in more than 50 countries, not only in Germany,” – said Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey. However, he added that no criminal case against these companies. “In order to prevent erroneous interpretation of this step of Ankara, the Turkish government subsequently decided to withdraw the appeal to Interpol,” – said Shimshek.
The Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim (Binali Yıldırım), in turn, assured the German companies operating in the Turkish market, that Ankara will do everything to reduce tension in the relations with Berlin. “For us it is very important that you do not become a victim of this voltage [German-Turkish crisis in relations] and that you have not experienced any discomfort from these events”, – said the Prime Minister of Turkey, at a meeting with representatives of German companies in Turkey.
The Turkish statement came after, as on 20 July, the foreign Minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel (Sigmar Gabriel) has warned Turkey that Berlin will change its policy towards Ankara. Among the changes he called the recommendations of the German businesses to curtail investment in the country, as well as the tightening of recommendations for German citizens are planning a visit to Turkey.
The reason for the escalation was the arrest in Turkey of six human rights activists from international organizations as Amnesty international. Among the arrested German citizen Peter Steudtner (Peter Steudtner). He was one of the participants of the workshop on security and human rights, which was held near Istanbul on 5 July. Special services of Turkey have detained ten members of the seminar, accusing them of supporting terrorism. Two weeks later, six human rights defenders were arrested, including a German human rights activist. Peter Steudtner became the twenty-second German citizen detained in Turkey after a coup attempt in July last year.
With Feb under arrest in Turkey is a German journalist of Turkish origin Deniz Yudzhel ‘ (Deniz Yücel), the correspondent of the newspaper Die Welt. In March he was arrested Machale Tolu (Tolu Mesale), German translator of Turkish origin, who worked in the Pro-Kurdish news Agency Etkin. Both accused of propaganda of terrorism.
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