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German FM: Normalizing ties on Turkey trip agenda

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel delivers a speech during the Protestant church day (Kirchentag) event at the City Cube in Berlin on May 26, 2017. (Photos by AFP)

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has said he will attempt to “normalize” ties with Turkey during his upcoming trip to Ankara.

"We are seeking out ways to return to normalized relations with Turkey," said Gabriel in St. Petersburg on Saturday.

The German foreign minister is scheduled to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Anakra on Monday.

Tensions between the two NATO allies increased last months after a parliamentary delegation was not permitted access to the Incirlik air base in Turkey, where German troops are deployed.

Relations between Turkey and Germany began to deteriorate after a failed coup in Turkey last year. Germany has repeatedly criticized Ankara's crackdown, saying the Turkish government has acted beyond the rule of law.

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This file photo taken on January 21, 2016 shows German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen chatting with soldiers during a visit of the German Armed Forces Bundeswehr at the air base in Incirlik, Turkey. 

Turkey defends the crackdown and insists that European's government has failed to properly condemn the coup.

Ankara also accuses Berlin of giving sanctuary to outlawed Kurdish militants and allowing their sympathizers to stage anti-Turkey rallies across Germany.

Relations between Germany and Turkey hit a new low during a Turkish referendum in April, which boosted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers.

The two countries have also clashed over the arrest of a Turkish journalist working for a major German daily.


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