Turkey, Germany ‘differ in views on terrorism’
Germany and Turkey can overcome a period of ups and downs in bilateral relations during the term in 2019. Both countries will take steps for boosting relations, however, Ankara and Berlin are still having differences on the understanding of terror concepts, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“They are always grateful for what we have done about Syria, especially on the issue of Idlib. We will continue to take steps by strengthening our cooperation with the EU and other regions,” Erdogan told a group of journalists while on his way from Germany to Turkey, Hurriyet Daily News reports.
One of the problematic areas with Germany is they do not act “sensitive enough” on the issue of “anti-Turkey acts of organizations such as the [illegal] PKK, FETÖ, DHKPC,” the president said.
“We expect German authorities to fight against them more effectively. An effective struggle against the structures that pose a threat to our national security is our fundamental right,” he said.
“We have expressed it would be better to ask us about real information” regarding those people, said Erdoğan, elaborating on the issue of German concerns regarding their citizens detained in Turkey.
“We told them it would be better to listen to official authorities about the issues and take steps accordingly rather than listening to anti-cabinet or anti-president circles in Turkey,” he said.
“We told them one cannot get accurate results if they walk with anti-government” circles, the president added.
He stressed that there is an obvious difference in the two countries’ approach regarding the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).
“They are talking about the lack of evidence on FETO. It is not possible to understand ignoring the evidence we submitted to them, including the court rulings,” said Erdoğan.
Turkey has asked Germany to extradite a list of 136-people, Erdoğan said, recalling that Ankara had previously sent a list of about more than 4,000 illegal PKK members. He recalled Turkey sent the United States 85 packages of documents for its request of FETÖ members. Later on, U.S. President Donald Trump asked Ankara to send names of individuals instead and Turkey conveyed a list of more than 20 people, according to Erdogan.
“The upcoming period will show us what will happen. However, their understanding of terror is different than ours. They have a difficulty in understanding us because they do not have the problems we have,” he said.
Erdogan noted that his delegation visited Germany with a positive agenda and said he was satisfied with Germany’s hospitality on many terms, including security and state protocol. “It was a good and successful visit,” he said and welcomed both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“I can say we were able to agree on further developing our economic relations. The German minister for economy will come to our country on Oct. 25 accompanied with a big delegation of businesspeople,” said the Turkish president.
Discrimination and Islamophobia remain a major problem in Germany, he said, recalling the huge Turkish community living there. Erdogan expressed his concern on attacks on mosques and Islamic associations.
“This situation contradicts with the European values,” he said, underlining that one should not fall on deaf ears regarding this problem.
He recalled that nearly 10,000 Turks could not attend at the president address in Cologne though they came the mosque opening because the German authorities did not allow them due to security reasons.
“As a result, Germany is an important country for us. Of course we have problems. I cannot say we have been able to overcome them entirely. But I think we caught an important chance to overcome problems,” he said, adding that mutual visits of ministers will increase between the two capitals, including an invitation issued for the German chancellor and president to visit Turkey.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan criticized the German president’s “attitude” during the dinner and said his behavior “was not smart.” It was unnecessary to bring the issues back up at the dinner, which had already been discussed at previous meetings throughout the day.
“Even the Germans were uncomfortable with that. Some circles had said ‘Steinmeier was wrong. Erdoğan gave the right reaction,’” he said. In Turkish culture, if one invites someone for dinner, no one would treat the guest this way, the president said, adding that his move was aimed at the German media for internal political concerns.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier raised human rights issues in Turkeyduring a state dinner with Erdoğan. “Eighty years ago, Germans found refuge in Turkey—today, a worryingly large number of people from Turkey are seeking refuge here in Germany from the growing pressure on civil society,” Steinmeier said before Erdoğan. In his speech, Erdoğan told Steinmeier among other things that he seemed to have “received false information” regarding the arrests that have taken place in Turkey. “Thousands of members of the PKK, which is recognized as a terror group by the EU, walk freely in Germany,” Erdogan said.
Germans were “avoiding a room meeting” but on the other hand, they are “seeking rights of” Can Dündar, he said, noting that the journalist was sentenced for 5-10 years in Turkey. Recalling the bilateral extradition agreement, Germany should return Dündar to Turkey, he added. He told German counterparts that the detained German citizens in Turkey are accused of some crimes, they are on trial as Turkish nationals, and Turkey is a state of law, the president said.
Videos
Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
- 15:20 • 24.05.21 Interview with Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director
- 11:39 • 24.04.21 Armenians Commemorating 106th Anniversary of Genocide
- 09:40 • 23.04.21 Biden Under Pressure to Recognize Armenian Genocide - KTLA 5 News
- 15:34 • 22.04.21 Governance and Oversight Capacities Account for Our Bank's Robust Management System - Philip Lynch, Independent Board Member at Ameriabank
- 14:09 • 21.04.21 'Mr. President, It Is Now in Your Power to Right Decades of Denial' - US Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Joe Biden to Recognize Armenian Genocide
- 12:37 • 03.04.21 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in Despair After Trauma of Military Defeat - France 24
- 17:33 • 11.03.21 Interview with Kakhaber Kiknavelidze, an Independent Member of Ameriabank Board of Directors
- 17:57 • 26.01.21 Only Terrorists Keep Hostages, Putting Forward Preconditions for Their Release - Edmon Marukyan
- 13:33 • 22.01.21 Rep Adam Schiff Says Congress Should Recognize Artsakh
- 09:42 • 29.12.20 UN's Guterres Issues Global Appeal to Make 2021 'Year of Healing'
- 18:41 • 24.12.20 NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Landing Animations
- 13:33 • 31.10.20 Azerbaijan Uses Prohibited Phosphorus Chemical Munitions - Defense Army Video
- 16:37 • 30.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Arms Supplies
- 11:25 • 28.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Drone
- 13:45 • 24.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Status Has Been At the Heart of Our Approach - Zohrab Mnatsakanyan
- 11:51 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Releases Video Featuring Damaged Azerbaijani Military Equipment
- 11:40 • 24.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Inflicting Manpower Losses on Azerbaijan
- 10:39 • 24.10.20 Gas Pipeline Damaged in Azerbaijani Fire Targeting Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital
- 12:41 • 23.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace
- 12:16 • 23.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizes Azerbaijani Military Hardware
- 12:02 • 22.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Neutralizing Azerbaijani Military Infrastructures
- 10:35 • 22.10.20 President Armen Sarkissian Meets with NATO Secretary-General in Brussels
- 10:51 • 17.10.20 Buildings and Homes Lying in Ruins in Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital After Azerbaijani Shelling
- 15:09 • 15.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army's Precision Fire Gives Deadly Blow to Enemy
- 13:13 • 13.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Units Destroying Azerbaijani Tank
- 12:56 • 12.10.20 Zohrab Mnatsakanyan: Ceasefire Does not Mandate Azerbaijan to Kill Civilians and Hit Civilian Settlements
- 12:23 • 12.10.20 Armenians Protest Outside Turkrish Embassy in Los Angeles
- 17:23 • 09.10.20 Losses in Azerbaijan's Military Featured in Defense Army Footage
- 15:53 • 09.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Neutralizing Adversary's Transport Column
- 14:11 • 09.10.20 Turkey openly backs Azerbaijan 'far more aggressively than in the past' - ABC News on Syrian mercenaries fighting in Karabakh
- 15:52 • 08.10.20 Iconic Armenian Church Hit in Azerbaijani Attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh City (photos)
- 10:57 • 08.10.20 Artsakh Defense Army Continues High-Precision Strikes
- 14:24 • 07.10.20 War Situation in Karabakh on European Parliament's Agenda
- 19:31 • 05.10.20 Call for Urgent Action: Armenian Journalist Brings Intn'l Colleagues' Attention to Situation iin Artsakh After Azerbaijani Attacks
- 16:17 • 04.10.20 Turkey's Support to Syrian Mercenaries Fighting Against Artsakh: Facts About Azerbaijani Aggression
- 12:39 • 04.10.20 Nagorno-Karabakh's Capital Under Azerbaijani Strikes
- 13:49 • 03.10.20 Armenian Armed Forces Neutralize Azerbaijani Defense Positions
- 10:12 • 29.09.20 ArmenianTroops Destroy Azerbaijani Armored Fighting Vehicle on Frontline
- 23:42 • 28.09.20 There is a solid evidence that Azerbaijan has launched a thoroughly planned attack on the NKR
- 18:45 • 28.09.20 EU calls for Immediate End to Hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh
Most popular articles Today Yesterday For a week
-
Event 11:27 • 18/04 New streets in Koti equipped with illumination operated via automatic and remote control Last year, 5 streets were illuminated in Koti, with 2 of them being especially important due to their proximity to the border. They are just about one kilometer away from the border in a straight line.
-
Culture 15:28 • 22/04 An exhibition dedicated to Charles Aznavour's centennial anniversary. Yerevan, May 22-July 22 A selection of these artifacts will also be exhibited in Gyumri. Following the exhibition's conclusion, the initiators plan to donate the entire collection to the Charles Aznavour Museum in Yerevan for both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Economy
-
10:59 • 08.04.24 Ucom continues network modernization in regions of Armenia
-
15:41 • 29.03.24 Director General of Ucom took part in a recruiting conference
Event
-
12:22 • 16.04.24 Ucom continues network modernization in regions of Armenia
-
11:11 • 10.04.24 Ucom has released a new package offer