HEADS UP: A new conflict brewing up between Turkey and Germany

TURKEY - In Brief 20 Jul 2017 by Atilla Yesilada

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The Germany Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sigmar Gabriel stated—according to Deutsche Welle- that "We want Turkey to be a part of the West, or at least remain in its current position, but it takes two to tango," Sigmar Gabriel at a press conference in Berlin. "I cannot make out any willingness on the part of the current Turkish government to follow this path with us. For that reason Germany is forced to reorient its Turkey policy. The first consequences will be new travel advisories for German citizens in Turkey." Berlin was reacting to the arrest of yet another one of citizens, Mr. Peter Steudtner (along with five other human rights activists), on charges of belonging to “an armed terrorist organization” two weeks ago during a routine meeting in one of Princess Islands in Istanbul. Since the beginning of the post-coup purge of Gulenists and PKK sympathizers, Turkey arrested several foreign nationals on similar charges, as well deporting dozens of foreign journalists. Ankara responded to Gabriel’s accusations with similar tones, with the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that “there is a deep crisis in our relationship with Germany. Germany not only harbors PKK members and Gulenists terrorists on its soil, but also insists on unacceptable demands like exempting similar terrorists arrested in Turkey from the judicial process.” (Yeni Safak Daily) I doubt if any threats from Germany would change Ankara’s current policy of cleansing the society of each and every Gulenist. To empathize with AKP, Pastor Gulen and his network of agents in EU and elsewhere abroad do pose a legitimate threat to Turkish political order. On the other hand, I don’t find va...