Nfter the open dispute between Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul, the Turkish community in Germany criticized the way they were treated. “I would have wished that certain topics had been discussed diplomatically behind closed doors,” said Gökay Sofuoglu, chairman of the editorial network Germany on Sunday. “In any case, other methods should be found to get into conversation with each other.” The two had “left the language of diplomacy” and “each formulated messages for domestic politics”. “We expect that the population of Turkish origin will not suffer under these conditions.” Unfortunately, this has happened in the past in similar confrontations.
He also praised the Green politician’s inaugural visit to Turkey: “I see a certain paradigm shift with Ms. Baerbock.” He added: “She visited the opposition for the first time. I think that’s good. Because the opposition can always form the next government. That’s why you should cultivate relationships.”
Baerbock had her only meeting with a Turkish government representative in the Bosphorus metropolis of Istanbul on Friday. There, the joint press conference with Cavusoglu became an open confrontation about the expected Turkish offensive in northern Syria, the imprisonment of the opposition leader Osman Kavala in Turkey and, above all, about the island dispute between Greece and Turkey.
Baerbock had previously visited Athens and clearly sided with Greece in the dispute over Greek islands such as Rhodes, Kos and Lesbos in the eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish government is challenging Athens’ sovereignty over these islands and demanding the withdrawal of all Greek troops. “Greek islands are Greek territory and nobody has the right to question that,” said Baerbock in Athens after talks with her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias and repeated this position in Istanbul.
Cavusoglu said that in such disputes, Germany must be solution-oriented, as it was under Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). “Ms. Merkel did that. To tell the truth, Germany was an honest mediator during this time. It was balanced. Germany’s policy was balanced,” said Cavusoglu. “I’m sorry to say that, but that’s how it was. And we respected that.” Lately he has seen “that this balance is unfortunately being lost”. Third countries like Germany “must not get involved in provocations and propaganda, especially from Greece and the Greek part of Cyprus”.
The two also clashed on the subject of Syria. Baerbock warned Cavusoglu of a new offensive in the neighboring country. Ankara wants to fight there the Kurdish militia YPG, which the government regards as a terrorist organization. It is known that Turkey is threatened by terror, and of course everyone has the right to self-defense, said Baerbock. However, this right included “neither retaliation nor abstract pre-emptive attacks”. A new military conflict would make the suffering of the Syrians even worse, and new instability would arise that only terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State (IS) would take advantage of.