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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will pay his first official visit to Türkiye on Friday for talks focused on Gaza and broader developments in the Middle East, a Foreign Ministry spokesman announced Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, spokesman Josef Hinterseher said Wadephul will meet Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara to discuss international developments and bilateral ties.
“The talks will focus on the situation in the Gaza Strip, among other topics,” Hinterseher said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s cease-fire plan. “Following the release of the hostages, the main priority now is to quickly improve the humanitarian situation and begin implementing the next phases of the 20-point plan,” he added.
Hinterseher noted that the visit will allow the ministers to exchange views on a range of global and regional matters, including developments in the Middle East, the situation in Syria, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Türkiye-Germany relations.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan and Wadephul are expected to emphasize the importance of maintaining high-level consultation and dialogue mechanisms between Türkiye and Germany.
The talks will also express satisfaction with the progress in bilateral economic and trade relations and highlight that the upcoming Türkiye-Germany Economic and Trade Joint Committee (ETOK/JETCO) meeting and the “Energy and Mining Forum” will further strengthen commercial cooperation.
Türkiye is expected to underline its intention to advance energy cooperation with Germany through a strategic approach and share assessments on key issues currently on the Türkiye-EU agenda.
Ankara will also stress that European security strategies should be coordinated under NATO’s framework and that potential cooperation within the EU’s SAFE mechanism and joint defense industry initiatives should be explored.
Türkiye will reaffirm the importance it attaches to the peace and prosperity of the Turkish community in Germany and convey its positions on regional and global challenges, particularly the Middle East, Ukraine, and Syria.
The Foreign Ministry said Türkiye will emphasize that it is closely monitoring all stages of the cease-fire agreement in Gaza and expects its full implementation. Ankara will highlight that the positive momentum generated by the cease-fire should contribute to a fair and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue and reiterate the need for the rapid and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Türkiye and Germany maintain a broad, multifaceted partnership spanning political, economic, military, and social spheres. The two nations coordinate closely on key regional and global issues, including European security.
In 2024, which marked the 100th anniversary of the Türkiye-Germany Friendship Treaty, bilateral relations gained new momentum through reciprocal high-level visits. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Türkiye in April 2024 and again in February 2025, while former Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited in October 2024.
Foreign Minister Fidan last visited Germany in February 2025 to attend the Munich Security Conference. Since assuming office in May 2025, Wadephul made his first trip to Türkiye that same month for the informal NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Antalya. Following his October visit, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also expected to visit Türkiye and meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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Germany remains one of Türkiye’s largest trading partners. Bilateral trade reached $47.5 billion in 2024, including $20.4 billion in exports and $27.08 billion in imports, with both sides aiming to raise the figure to $60 billion in the near term. Germany’s direct investments in Türkiye totaled $771 million in 2024, representing 12% of total foreign direct investment. Between 2005 and 2024, German investments in Türkiye amounted to $13 billion, while Turkish investments in Germany exceeded $4 billion.
The most recent ETOK/JETCO meeting took place in Berlin on Sept. 27, 2024, and the latest ministerial-level Energy Forum was held in Berlin on Nov. 27, 2024.
More than 3 million people of Turkish descent living in Germany continue to play a vital role in strengthening the social and cultural bonds between the two nations.
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