Tension between Berlin and Ankara

 Turkish community in Germany criticises dispute between German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock and her Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Cavusoglu.

The open confrontation between the German foreign minister and her Turkish counterpart is met with disapproval by the Turkish community in Germany. They say the politicians have abandoned the language of diplomacy.

After the open dispute between Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Cavusoglu in Istanbul, the Turkish community in Germany has criticised the interaction. "I would have liked certain topics to have been discussed diplomatically and behind closed doors," chairman, Gökay Sofuoglu told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland on Sunday. "In any case, one should find other methods to talk to each other." He said the two had "abandoned the language of diplomacy" and formulated "messages for domestic politics" in each case. "We expect that the people of Turkish origin will not suffer under these circumstances." This, he said, had unfortunately happened in similar confrontations in the past

However, he also praised the Green politician's inaugural visit to Turkey: "I see a certain paradigm shift in Ms Baerbock." He added: "She has visited the opposition for the first time. I think that is good. Because the opposition can always form the next government. That's why relations should be cultivated."

Baerbock had her only meeting with a Turkish government representative in the Bosphorus metropolis of Istanbul on Friday. There, the joint press conference with Cavusoglu turned into an open confrontation about the expected Turkish offensive in northern Syria, the imprisonment of opposition member, Osman Kavala in Turkey and, above all, about the island dispute between Greece and Turkey.

Baerbock had previously visited Athens, where she clearly took Greece's side in the dispute over Greek islands such as Rhodes, Kos and Lesbos in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish government questions Athens' sovereignty over these islands and demands the withdrawal of all Greek troops. "Greek islands are Greek territory and nobody has the right to question that," Baerbock said in Athens after talks with her Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, repeating the same position in Istanbul.

Cavusoglu said that in such disputes Germany must be solution-oriented as it was under Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). "Mrs Merkel has done that. To tell the truth, Germany was an honest mediator during this period. It was balanced. Germany's policy was balanced," Cavusoglu said. "I'm sorry to say that but that's how it was. And we respected that." Lately, he said, he sees "that this balance is unfortunately being lost". Third countries like Germany "must not engage in provocations and propaganda, especially from Greece and the Greek part of Cyprus."

The two also clashed on the topic of Syria. Baerbock warned Cavusoglu against a new offensive in the neighbouring country. Ankara wants to fight the Kurdish militia, YPG which is considered a terrorist organisation by the government. It is known that Turkey is threatened by terror and, of course, the right to self-defence applies to everyone, Baerbock said. However, this right included "neither retaliation nor abstract preventive attacks". The suffering of Syrians would be made worse by a new military confrontation and new instability would arise, which would only benefit terrorist organisations such as the Islamic State (IS).

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