German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visits Turkey

A handout photo made available by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press office shows German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (L) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) shake hands during their meeting in Ankara, Turkey, 26 October 2019.

The visit is a sensitive one with Turkey’s invasion of Syria and protecting asylum-seekers just two of the touchy topics he needs to address.

Maas was also personally attacked by Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who justifies the invasion by describing it as self-defence in the fight against Kurdish terrorism. Erdogan was enraged by Germany’s decision to limit its arms exports to Ankara, and by Maas’ declaration that the Turkish offensive was “not in accordance with international law.”

 

 

Via EPA-EFE/TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY/DW