German-Turkish relations are heating up.

(Baonghean) - In recent days, Germany, Europe's leading power, has been sharpening its policy toward Türkiye in retaliation for Ankara's imprisonment of German journalists and human rights activists. The Foreign Ministry in Berlin is warning its citizens of the risks of traveling to Türkiye under the current circumstances.

Türkiye's arrest of German citizen Steudtner has sparked a potential bilateral diplomatic crisis. Photo: DW

A strong statement

On July 20, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel cut short his North Sea vacation to return to Berlin and issue his strongest statement yet against Turkey following the arrest of its journalists and activists by Ankara. At a press conference in Berlin, Sigmar Gabriel emphasized: “We want Turkey to be part of the West, or at least maintain its current status, but they have achieved neither. I cannot see any goodwill from the current Turkish government to continue on this path with us. For that reason, Germany is forced to reorient its policy towards Turkey. The first step will be new travel advisories for German citizens in Turkey.”

According to Berlin's top diplomat, German citizens traveling to Türkiye are facing "risks," and the ministry's official website advises people to exercise "extreme caution" when traveling to Turkey, because "consular access" to German citizens detained in Turkey has been "restricted, violating obligations under international law."

Gabriel also confirmed that the aforementioned measures were implemented after consultations with both Conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Social Democratic Party leader and chancellor Martin Schulz. While these measures did not reach the level of a travel warning in Turkey, observers believe they represent, to some extent, a new level of coolness in German-Turkish bilateral relations.

Germany's relationship with Turkish President Erdogan is at its lowest point. Photo: Reuters

Unfounded accusations?

Germany's readjustment of its Türkiye policy comes after an Istanbul court on July 19 ordered the arrest of six human rights activists, including a German national named Peter Steudtner, for questioning on charges of supporting terrorism.

German Foreign Minister Gabriel, in a press conference the following day in Berlin, specifically mentioned Steudtner by name, stating that "these accusations are clearly baseless and simply made out of absurdity," arguing that Steudtner held no role in Turkey's current political activities and was most likely visiting the country for the first time.

According to German news outlets, Steudtner, a representative of Amnesty International, was arrested by Ankara authorities in early July at a conference in Istanbul while lecturing his Turkish colleagues on information technology security and non-violent conflict resolution. Other cases include journalist Deniz Yucel, who has been detained for questioning since the end of February, along with seven other German citizens currently held by Ankara.

German officials claim they have been trying to show patience in the ongoing uproar with Ankara and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Evidence of this is Berlin's complete silence in response to Erdogan's inflammatory comparisons between the Federal Republic of Germany and Nazi Germany in mid-March.

Meanwhile, Germany has made significant efforts to restart relations with Türkiye, but has repeatedly faced disappointment. Perhaps this latest setback has finally pushed Berlin to the brink, preventing it from remaining inactive any longer. As Gabriel stated, Merkel's government and its coalition partners will soon discuss broader consequences, even considering drastic financial sanctions.

Ankara has arrested numerous suspects following last year's failed coup attempt. Photo: AFP

On the brink of a diplomatic crisis

Also on July 20, the Turkish ambassador to Germany was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and received a warning that Berlin would not accept the detention of its citizens. Justice Minister Heiko Maas also stated that Germany needed to take a tougher stance against Turkey, but with caution to maintain diplomatic relations. Speaking to the German news agency DPA, Maas said: “We must remember that German citizens are currently in detention centers in Turkey, and we need access to them. I think any dispute with Türkiye at this time would be a mistake, causing us to lose that access.”

This viewpoint is not entirely unconvincing, especially given Türkiye's accusations that Germany is interfering in its internal affairs. There is considerable speculation in German public opinion that Erdogan is using detained German citizens as hostages to force Berlin to deport Turkish citizens in Germany, whom Ankara considers terrorists. Nevertheless, a different viewpoint exists within German politics, calling for a range of measures to punish Turkey, from general economic sanctions to the idea of ​​canceling the agreement between the European Union and Türkiye on the issue of migrants.

Naturally, Turkey has criticized Foreign Minister Gabriel's statements and Germany's announced change of position. Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Erdogan, stated: "We strongly condemn the statements that German citizens traveling to Türkiye are not safe and that German companies in Turkey need to consider and worry about this."

Meanwhile, Taka Ozhan, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of the ruling AKP party, reiterated accusations that Germany is harboring Turkish citizens plotting to overthrow the government – ​​particularly Kurdish separatists and members of the Gulen movement. Ozhan stated: “What we see in Germany today is a crisis of fundamental principles. The question is whether they are supporting terrorism… Terrorists think, ‘Once we arrive in Germany, we’re safe at home.’ That’s something that needs to change.”

To avoid escalating the situation beyond control and plunging the already turbulent German-Turkish relationship into a diplomatic crisis, appeals from other countries or international organizations and institutions alone are insufficient. Berlin and Ankara need to demonstrate goodwill, immediately cease tit-for-tat actions to de-escalate the situation, and prevent further escalation of tensions and their far-reaching consequences for the region.

Thu Giang

(According to Deutsche Welle)