Caspian Report - Issue 06 - Winter 2014

EBRU TURHAN
66
Director General of the Federation of
German Industries, warned Turkey
about the economic implications of
political stability. 19
GERMANY AND TURKEY TO
EXPAND ENERGY COOPERATION
Turkey is a very important country for
German companies. It is a production
base and regional hub as well as a big
market due to the significant Turkish
domestic demand. Various German
companies achieve their world-wide
and Europe-wide records in sales
growth in Turkey. In 2013, Mercedes-
Benz achieved a sales record in
Turkey with an annual increase in
sales of almost 58 percent compared
with 2012. 20 Leading German energy
giants such as E.ON, RWE and EnBW
are experiencing great difficulties
at home and expect shrinking gains
due to the German energy transition,
and so are shifting their focus to
developing counties such as Turkey.
The recently established German-
Turkish Energy Forum also reflects
the significance of cooperation in
the field of energy. The annual forum
is a new platform, which seeks to
enhance dialogue on energy matters
between the two countries.
IN 2013, MERCEDES-BENZ ACHIEVED A SALES RECORD
IN TURKEY WITH AN ANNUAL INCREASE IN SALES OF
ALMOST 58 PERCENT COMPARED WITH 2012.
Cooperation in energy matters is
of interest for both countries. With
its comprehensive know-how
Germany can support the further
development of the Turkish energy
industry and contribute to enhanced
energy efficiency and the expansion
of renewable energies. Turkey is an
important hub for raw material imports
and plays a key role in the supply of
energy security both in Germany and
the rest of Europe. Other sectors of
strategic importance for German-
Turkish economic cooperation include
but not limited to the automotive,
transportation, textile, and chemical
industries, along with water and waste
management. It should come as no
surprise, therefore, that during the Gezi
protests, the Federation of German
Industries warned Turkey about the
economic implications of the incidents.
The German call to open Chapters 23
and 24 should be evaluated in view of
the direct effects of the political and
economic instability in Turkey for
Germany.
CONCLUSION: GERMAN
INTERESTS AND THE FUTURE OF
TURKEY-EU RELATIONS
The in-depth analysis of last year’s
German-Turkish dialogue in view of
Turkey’s EU accession process elucidated
the key role of interests in
the construction of German preferences
pertaining to Turkey’s EU bid,
and, consequently the trajectory and
characteristics of Turkey’s EU accession
process. In the aftermath of
this analysis, one question remains:
What factors will determine German
19
. “Gewaltsame Proteste: Deutsche Wirtschaft sorgt sich um Stabilität in der Türkei”, Spiegel Online, 18
June 2013”
20
.“Mercedes-Benz on record course”, http://www.daimler.com/dccom/ 0-5-7153-1-1663631-1-0-0-
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html