Europe needs Turkey's support to reach a cease-fire in Syria and address the crises of the region, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Wednesday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Berlin, Steinmeier stressed the importance of close cooperation with Turkey in addressing the current challenges in the Middle East.
“Of course, we still have some difficult discussions between our governments," Steinmeier said, referring to strained ties between Berlin and Ankara in the aftermath of the foiled July 15 coup.
“But we need these difficult discussions, simply because Turkey's role remains important. Both in relation to the Europe and also concerning Turkey's role in the Middle East."
Ankara has sharply criticized its European partners and Germany for failing to show solidarity with Turkey over the coup attempt.
European governments have raised concerns about post-coup investigations and Ankara's declaration of a state of emergency, and opposition parties have called for the suspension of Turkey's EU accession talks.
Steinmeier said the challenges Turkey faced in a difficult neighborhood were understandable.
He also expressed Germany's expectation that Turkey will play a constructive role to reach a cease-fire in Syria, stressing that support from regional powers was the key to success.
