Even though German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu seem sincere about thawing the two countries' chilly relations, the road ahead won't be smooth, writes DW's Seda Serdar.
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Image: picture-alliance/AA/M. Kula
At the end of September Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be traveling to Berlin for a state visit. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas' trip to Ankara aimed to lay the groundwork for this visit. The first stop was the Turkish parliament, where Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warmly greeted his colleague. Later in the day Maas met with Erdogan at a constructive and friendly meeting. The relaxed atmosphere certainly is a good start. But for this to last and to fully normalize relations, both sides have to make a serious effort.
DW's Seda Serdar
Quiet diplomacy
Talking behind closed doors isn't President Erdogan's strong suit. Neither is it Cavusoglu's. Before heading to Ankara, Maas said that to normalize relations with Turkey the German citizens held in Turkish prisons have to be returned home. This was set as a short-term goal.
At the press conference Maas only mentioned this very briefly. It is clear that the conversation is going on, but it appears that Germany chooses to handle this delicate situation quietly. Cavusoglu, on the other hand, burst out unexpectedly and said there cannot be any pre-conditions for normalizing relations between the two countries. Cavusoglu also added that Turkey was talking to Germany about matters concerning the PKK and the Gulenist organization.
Considering the ongoing case of Pastor Andrew Brunson, a US citizen detained as a result of the 2016 attempted coup against Erdogan, one would think that the Turkish government understood by now that publicly escalating such delicate issues doesn't contribute to the solution.
What is the Andrew Brunson row all about?
A Turkish court has ruled to release US pastor Andrew Brunson, whose detention has strained diplomatic ties between the US and Turkey. Who is Brunson, and why did the Turkish government put him behind bars?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo/E. Tazegul
Alleged connection to failed military coup
US pastor Andrew Brunson was first arrested in October 2016, when Turkey was in the immediate throes of a crackdown on suspected instigators of the failed July coup attempt. He is accused of supporting exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen as well as Kurdish militants. Ankara claims Gulen masterminded the coup bid.
Image: picture-alliance/Zaman/AA/B. Ozkan
Espionage charges
Brunson was charged of "committing crimes on behalf of terror groups without being a member" and espionage. The 50-year-old pastor spent two years in jail, facing a prison sentence of up to 35 years if convicted on both counts.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Suna
'No credible evidence'
In July, 2018, Brunson was allowed to leave prison and remain under house arrest, but his request to leave Turkey was denied by authorities. Washington has maintained that there is no credible evidence to support the charges brought against him. "Release Pastor Andrew Brunson now or be prepared to face the consequences," US Vice President Mike Pence warned Turkey.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo/E. Tazegul
'No one dictates to Turkey'
US President Donald Trump threatened to slap "large sanctions" on Turkey if it refused to free the Christian pastor. Trump took to Twitter to demand that the pastor be freed, writing: "This innocent man of faith should be released immediately!" In a tit-for-tat tweet, Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu responded by saying that, "No one dictates [to] Turkey."
Image: Reuters/K. Lemarque
US sanctions
In early August the White House announced it was imposing sanctions on two top members of the Turkish government – Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul (above right) and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu – for their roles in Brunson's detention. President Erdogan has said that he will not be swayed by sanctions.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/S. Yordamovic/A. Ozler
'Constructive' dialogue
But signs of a diplomatic thaw began to appear after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Turkey's Cavusoglu met in Singapore on the sidelines of a regional summit on August 3. "They [Pompeo and Cavusoglu] spoke about a number of issues and had a constructive conversation," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/F. Aktas
Found guilty, but set free
Eventually, a court in Turkey's Aliaga found Brunson guilty on terror charges and sentenced him to over three years in prison. At the same time, however, the court said he would not serve the term due to the time he had already spent behind bars. The preacher was allowed to leave the country.
Image: Reuters/Depo Photos
Shaky US-Turkey ties
The Brunson row is the latest in a series of diplomatic and military disputes between the two NATO allies. The US uses bases in Turkey for its military operations across the Middle East, but the two countries have sparred over numerous issues, including Washington's support for Kurdish fighters in Syria, whom Ankara sees as a threat to its political stability.
Image: Getty Images/C.Turkel
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Looking west
Maas' trip is a step toward bringing Germany and Turkey closer again. However, Turkey's actions make this complicated. Even though Turkey is trying to revitalize its relationship with Europe, it is at the same time continuously violating human rights within the country.
So Germany needs to ask itself: How are we going to normalize relations with a country that insists it wants to get closer to Europe, but in practice is further distancing itself from democracy and western values every day? There is no easy answer to this question.
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Without a doubt, Turkey's recently re-elected president needs Europe at the moment. Erdogan cannot afford to lose German investments in Turkey while the economy is going downhill. He needs all the support he can get.
Moreover, just next door, Syria is boiling and a new refugee wave could be at Turkey's doorstep sooner than later. Neither Germany nor Turkey want this to happen, and understandably so.
Germany is faced with a difficult mission. The goal is to find common ground to resolve bilateral issues, make sure Turkey's economy doesn't collapse (which is bad for everyone), find a way to manage the refugee crisis — and do all this without strengthening the hand of an autocrat. As it turns out, normalizing relations could end up being harder than managing the tension.
