German president says two-state solution key to lasting peace in Middle East
agrees with Türkiye that lasting peace in the Middle East will be possible through a two-state solution, President FrankWalter Steinmeier said Friday, referring to the Palestinian issue.
“Every minute of my visit to Türkiye was valuable and constructive,” Steinmeier told Turkish reporters following his three-day stay in the country.
“For me, coming to Türkiye on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of our diplomatic relations was very significant,” he added.
The two countries enjoy good commercial ties though they differ on several issues, namely Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, Türkiye’s long-stalled EU membership and the pursuit of Eurofighter jets.
Noting that both countries are NATO allies and G-20 members, Steinmeier stated: “As Türkiye and Germany, we are indispensable to each other; we need each other.”
Steinmeier, accompanied by a German Turkish döner kebab chef, arrived in Istanbul on Monday where he met Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu who gave him a tour of Türkiye’s financial and cultural hub. On Tuesday, he visited the southeastern city of Gaziantep, one of the provinces affected by the February 2023 earthquakes that claimed thousands of lives in the country.
‘Germany will remember quake victims’
On April 23, Steinmeier attended the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day celebrations in Gaziantep.
His visit to the container city set up for earthquake victims in the Nurdağı district left a lasting impression on him, he said.
“Visiting the region one year after the earthquake was meaningful for me. It’s heartening to see shelters being quickly prepared for the survivors and arrangements made for children to attend schools,” he said.
Expressing admiration for the reconstruction efforts in the region, Steinmeier said: “As Germany, we will not forget the earthquake victims and will continue to support them.”
The German government pledged 238 million euros ($254 million) in earthquake aid to Türkiye and Syria.
Steinmeier also stated that efforts are underway to increase the number of consulate staff in Türkiye and expedite visa procedures for Turkish citizens.
Steinmeier said he looks forward to Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attending Euro2024, which will be held in Germany and where the Turkish National Team will also compete.
At his meeting with Erdoğan in Ankara, Steinmeier had described Turkish-German relations as “indispensable” for both sides and called for strengthening ties at “tough economic times.”
Erdoğan, however, touched upon the issue of the Palestine-Israel conflict, in which he disagreed with the German president.
Türkiye has repeatedly condemned Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and said Hamas is a resistance group, unlike Germany’s solid support to Israel.
“Efforts of the Israeli administration to hide its atrocities, massacres committed in Gaza should not be allowed,” Erdoğan said.
He added that Türkiye would continue to intensify its efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid reaching the Palestinian people.
Steinmeier’s visit, the first to Türkiye since he took office in 2017, was met with protests almost everywhere he visited over Berlin’s stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Activists staged protests near the president in Ankara, Istanbul and Gaziantep, blaming Germany for contributing to “murders” of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, a close ally of Germany.