Angela Merkel on Farewell Visit to Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday in Istanbul. The meeting lasted about an hour and was closed to the press. A joint press conference with the leaders of the two countries is expected after the meeting.

Germany and Turkey exchanged views regarding negotiations with the Taliban radical movement and agreed to continue efforts in this direction, Chancellor Merkel announced during a joint press conference with Erdoğan on Saturday in Istanbul. Notably, this was Merkel's farewell visit to Turkey as Chancellor.

“We certainly discussed the situation in Afghanistan. To ensure that Afghan residents do not fall victim to smugglers and illegal transporters, we must ensure the provision of humanitarian aid,” Merkel said. “We exchanged thoughts on negotiations with the Taliban movement and may continue to do so through our representatives,” she added.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has made significant contributions to solving the crisis in Syria, Turkish President Erdoğan stated. He expressed hope that Germany’s new government would continue the successful cooperation established by Merkel with Turkey.

“Turkey aims to increase trade with Germany to up to 50 billion dollars annually. The Turkish community in Germany, our countries' shared heritage, remains an important bridge in the relations between Ankara and Berlin,” Erdoğan said. He also drew attention to the burdens placed on Turkey regarding the flow of refugees and illegal migrants. In recent years, Turkey has become a kind of “guesthouse” for refugees, Erdoğan asserted.

The EU will continue to support Turkey regarding illegal migration issues, Merkel stated, while also emphasizing that the ties between Germany and Turkey have always been based on mutual benefit principles. She expressed confidence that Germany's new federal government would approach this issue from the same standpoint.