President Erdoğan spoke at a joint press conference with German President Steinmeier
Holding a joint press conference with President Steinmeier of Germany, President Erdoğan said: “We have intensive relations with our NATO ally Germany in all fields from security to economy, culture to science. We aim to increase our bilateral trade volume, which nears $50 billion, to $60 billion in a balanced manner.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the Federal Republic of Germany held a joint press conference following their meeting at the Presidential Complex.
Expressing his happiness to be welcoming German President Steinmeier and his delegation to Türkiye, President Erdoğan highlighted the importance of Mr. Steinmeier’s first-ever visit to Türkiye in that it coincides with the 100th anniversary of the friendship treaty between the two countries.
Voicing his belief that the Turkish-German friendship would strengthen further, President Erdoğan said: “I am pleased to see that my treasured friend Steinmeier is on the same page with us to deepen our relations. I would like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to Germany and the German people for the solidarity they displayed with our nation following the February 6 earthquakes.”
“OUR HUMAN TIES CONSTITUTE THE MOST VALUABLE PILLAR OF OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH GERMANY”
Noting that he was moved by President Steinmeier’s visit to the primary school built with Germany’s contributions as well as to the container city in Gaziantep, President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “During today’s talks, we addressed in a bilateral manner the multidimensional relations between our countries. We aim to increase our bilateral trade volume, which nears $50 billion, to $60 billion in a balanced manner. In this regard, we attach special importance to enhancing our mutual investments. We also want to expand our defense industry cooperation in line with the spirit of alliance and our bilateral relations. We desire to fully remove the restrictions we face in defense industry from our agenda. We hope that in defense industry, Türkiye and Germany focus on joint production projects rather than the restrictions from now on.”
Pointing out that the cooperation in tourism is also growing day by day, President Erdoğan said: “We hosted in Türkiye over 6 million German tourists in 2023. I believe we will further increase this number. Our human ties constitute the most valuable common ground and supporting pillar in our bilateral relations with Germany. The number of people we saw off from Sirkeci Train Station 63 years ago has now reached 3.5 million. Over the course of 63 years, the Turkish community has started to assume critical roles in the social, economic, cultural and academic realms in Germany rather than being mere expats.”
Some of the representatives included in President Steinmeier’s delegation attests to this fact, President Erdoğan stressed, adding: “Our citizens have important successes in every area from culture to arts, politics to science and trade. We are proud of all our citizens who break taboos, overcome prejudices and cope with obstacles one by one to serve as a human bridge between Türkiye and Germany.”
Issues relating to the Turkish community in Germany was also on their agenda, stated President Erdoğan, noting that Türkiye values and encourages the Turkish community’s integration on the basis of equal participation.
Praising the new citizenship law that enables dual citizenship in Germany as a valuable step taken in this direction, President Erdoğan said: “However, we have growing concerns about xenophobic, Islamophobic, far-right and racist organizations that are on the rise in Germany along with Europe. 31 years after the Solingen disaster, another similar attack unfortunately claimed four lives, two of them children. I shared our expectations for this heinous incident, which took place on March 25, to be fully illuminated and for the perpetrators to be held accountable.”
“WE EXPECT FURTHER SOLIDARITY FROM GERMAN AUTHORITIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERROR”
Stressing that they also discussed the terrorist organizations, particularly the PKK/PYD and FETO that disrupt the peace of Turks and attack Turkish missions, President Erdoğan stated: “We are in need of more effective cooperation in the fight against these organizations, which undermine the spirit of alliance between our countries. We expressed our expectation of further support and solidarity from German authorities in the fight against terror.”
Noting that the relations between Türkiye and the European Union was also on the agenda, President Erdoğan said: “We addressed the steps that should be taken particularly regarding the Customs Union and visa liberalization. We exchanged views on regional and global developments. I reiterated our call for the cessation of the unprecedented oppression going on in Gaza for 200 years. Netanyahu is jeopardizing the security of our entire region, including his own citizens, just to extend his political life. The Israeli administration's attempts to remove the crimes against humanity and massacres they committed in Gaza from the agenda should not be given credit.”
“WE WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO DELIVER UNINTERRUPTED AND ADEQUATE HUMANITARIAN AID TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE”
Stressing that the threats against both the regional and global peace grow as Israel continues its attacks, President Erdoğan said: “The most recent and striking example of this situation has been the escalation of the Iran-Israel tension last week. We all know very well that the agony of condemning innocent people to death, famine and misery is never forgotten even after generations. Türkiye has taken a determined, conscientious and courageous stance on this issue since day one. We will continue to step up our efforts to ensure the establishment of a ceasefire and to deliver uninterrupted and adequate humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.”
Answering reporters’ questions following the press conference, President Erdoğan said that Türkiye is no longer maintaining intensive trade relations with Israel. Underscoring that nearly 45 thousand people have been killed in Israel’s attacks, President Erdoğan stressed that Germany should see the grave scene in Gaza. Further stressing that the West is all behind Israel but that Palestine doesn’t have any of the weapons and the support Israel has, President Erdoğan added that Türkiye continues its endeavors for the exchange of hostages.
