The less time left before the elections to the Bundestag, the tougher statements of German politicians about Ankara become. German-Turkish ties are going through a prolonged crisis, however, sooner or later, Germany and Turkey will have to untangle the web of accumulated contradictions together. The deputy director of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), Christian Mölling, and the director of the DGAP's Otto Wolff Research Institute Daniela Schwarzer, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, said about the role of the pre-election struggle in Germany in the actual aggravation of German-Turkish relations and what can be expected after the election.
"I do not think that we are dealing with just a s pre-election storm in today's relations with Turkey. The situation is complicated by the fact that Germany perceives Ankara's actions as steps aimed directly and specifically against it, rather than the EU as a whole. It can be applied to the detention of German citizens in Turkey and the Turkish government's recommendations to its citizens to refrain from traveling to Germany," Christian Mölling noted. At the same time, the expert called for separating Ankara's actions related to the desire to strengthen its own role in the Middle East from its problems in relations with the West. "In this context we should also consider Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems. These actions are not directed against the EU or NATO, but serve to strengthen Turkish-Russian cooperation," Christian Mölling believes.
The DGAP deputy director believes that Berlin should also adjust its attitude towards Turkey. "I hope that Germany will begin to better understand the current difficult foreign policy situation in Turkey, which is facing threats to its own security. Berlin should not consider the situation in Turkey exclusively through the prism of Germany's and Europe's interests. But, however, it does not mean that Germany should change its principled position regarding the changes in the Turkish political system," Mölling stressed.
Daniela Schwarzer, in turn, predicts that the topic of a breakdown of talks with Turkey on its accession to the EU will disappear from the political agenda after the elections to the Bundestag. In her opinion, the exaggeration of this topic by German politicians is a pre-election tactical maneuver. "I hope that the understanding will prevail that the EU's termination of negotiations with Turkey would end up doing more harm than good for European interests, and also gives additional arguments to the Turkish government," the expert said.
