Germany To Reorient Its Policy Toward Turkey As Diplomatic Ties Falter

This Thursday, the German government issued a travel warning disclosing potential risks for German citizens in Turkey. The warning comes after Peter Steudtner and five other human rights activists were ordered to remain in custody by a Turkish court last Tuesday due to alleged connections to terrorist organizations, The Guardian reports.

In response, the German Foreign Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, has declared that Germany may need to reorient its policies towards Turkey. Gabriel has stated that he cannot advise people to invest in a country where people are not safe from arbitrary arrests. He also added that it is the responsibility of the German government to vouch for the safety of its citizens.

It is feared that this political stance may harm Turkish tourism and industry, both strong pillars of Ankara’s economy. According to the Financial Times, Germany remains Turkey’s largest trading partner, with business between both countries being worth a total of $36 billion per year.

Relations between Berlin and Ankara remained tense ever since the attempted coup that took place one year ago. Making matters worse, the crackdown that followed, which led to more than 100,000 arrests. The German authorities have repeatedly admonished Turkey for violations of human rights.

On the other hand, Turkish authorities have stated that foreign nations have no right of interfering with their judiciary system and that Germany itself has been harboring terrorists.

Because some noteworthy conspirators involved in 2016’s coup sought asylum in Germany, some actually hypothesize that Erdogan may be seeking political hostages in Peter Steudtner and the other detainees, which he may eventually try to exchange for Turkish nationals in Germany.

Historically, Turkey has attempted to lean on Europe for decades. It became a noteworthy member of NATO in 1952 and currently possesses one of the most important armed forces within the organization, second only to the U.S. More recently, the country even began talks to become a part of the European Union.

Nevertheless, such ambitions were curbed time and again, and there was a sense of resentment against the perceived Western haughtiness. When Erdogan came to power, Ankara started to drift further away from its Western allies.

Described as authoritarian in his political stance, Erdogan has been repeatedly accused of pursuing and imprisoning journalists and political opposition members. His government has been marked by constant attempts to solidify his power, including the successful referendum from last April, which granted him increased authority.

Moreover, Turkey has had a few outstanding internal issues, of which the more well-known is the military effort against the Kurds, who wish to carve part of Turkey to form their own nation. Erdogan was seen as the strongman who could control such internal divisions, but the fact remains that the violence continues in spite of the occasional agreements.

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The situation is further complicated by Turkey’s importance in containing the situation in the Middle East. Turkey currently hosts around three million refugees escaping the Syrian Civil War, by far the largest number of any country.

Agreements were made for Ankara to keep these people so they wouldn’t flow to Europe, which is already dealing with a serious refugee crisis. In fact, Erdogan has threatened to either expel or allow free passage of refugees in case his demands weren’t met several times in the recent past.

Furthermore, the Turkish military has had an important role in the fighting against the Islamic State by providing military bases and direct troop involvement. However, last Tuesday the Turkish state news agency disclosed the location of American troops within Syria. The US government has criticized the gesture, saying that it presents a major leak and a peril to the servicemen in the field.

The truth is that there a growing lack of trust between Ankara and NATO. Turkey requires the military muscle and logistic supply chain provided by its allies, in the same measure as the latter need Turkey as a plug for the Middle Eastern chaos. Moreover, Turkish regional ambitions may not further NATO’s interests, and Ankara has been seeking newer allies, including Russia and China.

Ankara has also accused German officials and companies of siding with what they describe as terrorists, like the opposition leader, Fethullah Güllen.

The arrest of the activists marks one more step in the ongoing row between the European nations and Turkey. There is the potential for the situation to escalate further, as ideological and geopolitical priorities push both nations away from each other.

Sigmar Gabriel added that Turkey’s actions show it is moving away from European values, the agency Bloomberg reports. In the meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel came forward to support Gabriel’s stance, describing it as “necessary and unavoidable.”

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Khalim has dissed the travel ban as a political irresponsibility while insisting that Turkey still welcomes German investment. It should be noted that weeks ago, President Erdogan downplayed the escalating differences between Turkey and the West, stating that if trading and tourism dwindle, they could always move to the Russian market.

[Featured Image by Jon Gambrell/AP Images]