Caspian Report - Issue 06 - Winter 2014

Foreign Minister
of Turkey Ahmet
Davutoglu and
his German
counterpart Frank-
Walter Steinmeier.
highlighted common German-Turkish
interests and possibilities for bilateral
partnerships in various areas such
as the resolution of the conflict in the
Middle East and the adoption of a
successful development policy vis-àvis
Africa. He furthermore emphasized
that two new chapters in Turkey’s
accession talks with the EU might be
opened during the Irish Presidency. 15
It looks like high-profile German
Christian Democrats are increasingly
acknowledging Turkey’s significance
for both European and German
economies and the stability in the
European periphery, in light of the
Eurozone crisis, the Arab Revolutions,
and the Syria conflict. In line with
these developments, the German and
Turkish Foreign Ministries established
the German-Turkish Strategic
Dialogue Mechanism in May 2013. The
IT LOOKS LIKE HIGH-PROFILE GERMAN CHRISTIAN
DEMOCRATS ARE INCREASINGLY ACKNOWLEDGING
TURKEY’S SIGNIFICANCE FOR BOTH EUROPEAN AND
GERMAN ECONOMIES AND THE STABILITY IN THE
EUROPEAN PERIPHERY, IN LIGHT OF THE EUROZONE
CRISIS, THE ARAB REVOLUTIONS, AND THE SYRIA
CONFLICT.
mechanism seeks to enhance the close
bilateral cooperation between the
two governments in strategic matters
such as foreign and security policy, the
fight against terrorism and extremism,
energy, regional and international
issues. 16
THE DEATH OF THE “PRIVILEGED
PARTNERSHIP”
A few months later, German Christian
Democrats and their Bavarian
sister party, Christian Social Union
63
CASPIAN REPORT, WINTER 2014
15
. Ismail Cevik, “Die Türkei erlebt eine außergewöhnliche Phase der politischen Stabilität“, DTJ, 22 February
2013
16
. Auswärtiges Amt, op.cit.