Measures to normalize German-Turkish relations are being taken by the German government, as reported by Deutsche Welle, with the lifting of restrictions on state guarantees for transactions with Turkey and a milder travel directive of the German Foreign Ministry.
The German Ministry of Economy confirmed press reports, according to a DW report, that the restrictions placed on the German state guarantees for trade with Turkey no longer apply. Following the arrests of German nationals, Berlin had decided in 2017 to set the so-called Hermes guarantee ceiling at 1,5 billion euros. With these guarantees, Germany protects German companies from damage in their foreign trade. In case of failure the German state covers the losses.
Critics of the measure blamed the German government for the € 1,5 billion limit, which was too high, given Hermes guarantees given in 2016 - excluding sanctions on exports to Turkey - at just € 1,1 billion. . In 2017, despite deteriorating relations with Ankara, the German state finally gave guarantees of 1,458 billion euros for exports to Turkey. In other words, despite the sanctions, the guarantees given in 2017 were almost 40% higher than in 2016. "Left" characterizes the decision of the Ministry of Economy, the MP of the Left party and expert on Turkey Alexander Noy. The situation in the country has not improved, he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, expressing the suspicion that the ministry succumbed to pressure from representatives of the German economy.
Berlin's efforts to normalize relations with Ankara are also documented by the gradual changes that have taken place since the beginning of May in the German Foreign Ministry's travel directive for Turkey, according to the report. Following the arrests of German nationals last year, the Foreign Ministry warned in its directive that German citizens were threatened with arrests in all parts of Turkey, even in tourist areas. Special mention was made in Antalya, the constituency of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşo .lu.
Following the lifting of the state of emergency in Turkey last Thursday, this warning is being lifted. The directive now states that "the risk of arrest is still high".