Germany warns businesses and citizens to avoid Turkey

The crisis in relations between Berlin and Ankara escalated sharply on Thursday as Germany’s foreign minister issued a safety warning to tourists travelling to Turkey and warned investors against doing business there. In unusually bold language, Sigmar Gabriel announced a “re-orientation” of German policy towards Turkey, saying Berlin would reconsider the economic aid and export credit guarantees it provides for the country. “We can’t go on as before,” he said at a press conference. “We have to be clearer than before so the authorities in Ankara understand that their policies are not without consequences.” The measures will have a tangible impact on a country that welcomes millions of German tourists every year and is one of Germany’s closest trading partners. Germans make up 15 per cent of the country’s tourism arrivals and trade volumes between the countries stand at €37bn a year. German leaders have in the past been restrained in their criticism of Nato ally Turkey. The country was a big beneficiary of the EU-Turkey refugee deal last year, which dramatically reduced the number of migrants crossing Germany’s borders. There are also some 3m people of Turkish origin living in Germany, making up the country’s largest minority group. We cannot advise anyone to invest in a country when there is no legal certainty and where companies, even entirely respectable companies, are labelled as terrorists SIGMAR GABRIEL, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER The latest outbreak of tensions was sparked by Turkey’s arrest of German human rights activist Peter Steudtner, who has been charged with supporting a terrorist organisation. The move was just the most recent in a catalogue of issues. Berlin has become increasingly concerned about Turkey’s authoritarian turn under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while the Turkish authorities have repeatedly accused Germany of refusing to extradite Turks they suspect of involvement in last year’s failed coup. Berlin has also repeatedly criticised the detention of Deniz Yücel, a German-Turkish reporter for German newspaper Die Welt, on terror-related charges, and Ankara’s refusal to allow a delegation of MPs to visit German troops stationed at Turkey’s Incirlik air base. The soldiers were later moved to Jordan. The two countries also clashed during the run-up to Turkey’s constitutional referendum in April, when several German cities barred campaign appearances by Turkish politicians. Mr Erdogan accused them of Nazi-like practices, prompting outrage in Berlin. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Cyprus on Thursday that Mr Gabriel’s threats did not comply with international standards of diplomacy and that the two countries ought to focus on their “long-term goals”. His ministry issued a statement calling Mr Gabriel’s comments “blackmail and threats”. Mr Steudtner’s arrest is part of a wave of repression in Turkey that has seen more than 150,000 officials suspended and 50,000 soldiers, police officers, judges, academics and others arrested since the putsch. Berlin has vowed to press Peter Steudtner's case after he was arrested in Turkey over terrorism accusations Mr Gabriel said Germany was changing its consular advice because the Steudtner case showed “German citizens in Turkey are no longer safe from arbitrary arrest”. The foreign ministry’s website now advises tourists to exercise ”increased caution” when travelling to Turkey, and to register with the German embassy even during short trips to the country. Berlin would also review the export credit guarantees it gives German companies doing business in Turkey, Mr Gabriel said. “We cannot advise anyone to invest in a country when there is no legal certainty and where companies, even entirely respectable companies, are labelled as terrorists,” he warned. “I can’t see how we as a government can guarantee German corporate investments in Turkey when arbitrary, politically motivated confiscations [of property] are not only threatened, but have actually happened.”

Mr Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, criticised Mr Gabriel’s statement. “We strongly condemn statements that German citizens who travel to Turkey are not safe and that German companies in Turkey have hesitations and concerns,” he said. “There is no such thing.” Mr Gabriel added that Germany would also discuss with its EU partners the possibility of cutting pre-accession economic aid to Turkey, provided as part of its efforts to join the bloc. Ms Merkel backed her foreign minister on Thursday, describing the measures he announced as “necessary and indispensable, in the light of the latest developments”. Mr Gabriel was speaking after the newspaper Die Zeit reported that Turkish authorities had handed Berlin a list of 68 German companies they accuse of harbouring links to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric Ankara accuses of masterminding last year’s coup attempt. The list includes carmaker Daimler and chemicals group BASF, as well as a kebab shop. A spokeswoman for the BKA, the federal criminal police, which received the list, said officers had declined to pursue Turkish requests to investigate the companies, because of the “vague” nature of the charges.


https://www.ft.com/content/16f84d64-6d2a-11e7-b9c7-15af748b60d0


THATS AWESOME!

 

I think Sigmar Gabriel provokes a response. I do not know what goals the German Foreign Ministry pursues, but given that Germany has imposed illegal sanctions against Russia, - Germany is not fair. However, like all EU countries.

 

Turkey is an islamo facist dictatorship.

Erdogan threated evry european citizen with death,

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-referendum-europe-idUSKBN16T13E

Erdogan constantly insulted Germany and all Germans as facists and nazis:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...y-behaving-like-nazis-turks-banned-political/

For almost 12 months Germany ignored all thsoe threats and the pathetic behavior. This was the wrong behavior. That ignoreing led to Erdogan getting more and more bold.

Germany should have learned from Putin. Russia knew how to deal with impotent Turkey. Putin bombed turkish trucks at the syrian borders, Killed turks and hunted turks out of syria. Erdogan crawled to Moscow and begged for forgiveness.

Its time we do the same. Crushing Turkish economy is the right thing to do and as we can see the turks already panic. Over 30% of their trade depends on Germany. Almost 70% on EU.

The time for ignoring is over. Now starts the time of disciplination.

 

I'm laughing! What can do really Gabriel?Nothing except lot of blah-blah-blah.
He shall ask AFD for a better solution.Or Putin.

The United Socialist Party CDU-CSU-SPD-FDP-Lefts-Greens is too weak, knows nothing and can nothing.

 

In 2015 far over 5 million German tourists visited Turkey, the number ist rapidly decrasing and the next step will be a "Reisewarnung" that will stop German mass tourism. Over 70% of foreign invests are from Europe and a large part of it is German money, without "Hermesbürgschaften" (state driven export insurance) there will be no more German investments. Blaming Daimler and BASF didn't help either.

On European level the entry to the custom union and direct payments are a strong weapon. Threatening with refugees is the only leverage Erdogan has and a this point we will build a wall and pay for it. German companies helpded building frontier fortifications for Saudi Arabia, they can build the same at the Turkish-European border.

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/CONS_274396.html

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/refugees-bulgaria-paramilitary-isis-969572822

 

You are not right. Turkey has the ability to maneuver. For example, Turkey can become an associate member of the SCO. And to have great prospects both in the economy and in tourism. For example, Russia, China, Iran, etc. have rich enough tourists for travel. But the prospects for economic cooperation are very high. You only imagine - 1.5 billion only Chinese (potential consumers, for example, agricultural products)
Also, Turkey has the opportunity to withdraw from NATO. The loss of one of the most powerful NATO armies - This will be a big blow for NATO. And certainly it will be an irreplaceable loss for influence in the Middle East.
But if you continue the military theme - do you imagine what will happen if Turkey enters into a military alliance with Russia?
The Middle East for the EU and the US will be lost forever. Because all states will instantly move to the side of the strong. And in this ray it will not be the EU and the US. Farther. If oil is now sold for dollars, then in a new world order oil will be sold for another currency. This is the end for the dollar. Given the mutual penetration of the banking structures of the EU and the US - this will be an end to the EU and the US. And so on.

If Turkey opens a green corridor for refugees in the EU, no walls can not save the EU from the hordes of savages.

 

Are you so sure?
Gabriel wants to fool Germans because his 'Reisewarnung' is not more as a fig leaf

On the web-page of German State Department ( Aussenministerium ) there are almost for any country a warning, who care about?
For tourists such 'warnings' are without any relevance.
.And if Hermes refuse to insure German exports to Turkey than only German companies will suffer and lose 10 %.
But not Turkey which receives goods from other countries.

In Germany living Turks will sue German Government due to 'racism','hate' and 'Nazi behavior' toward Turkey.
Because almost all 'judges' in Germany are leftists they will positive decide about such lawsuit.
And Germany must pay money to Turkis Organisations in Germany and lift weak 'sanctions' against Turkey.

http://www.haz.de/Nachrichten/Politik/Deutschland-Welt/DIHK-erwartet-Einbruch-um-gut-zehn-Prozent

In Reality Merkel is Erdogan's Vassal.Can you imagine Putin or Trump siting under Turkish flag.
A vassal will do nothing against sovereign.

 

The SCO where members theratening each other with war? They will be for sure no compensation for the EU custom union, they are competitors for Turkish products.

Turkey has disputes with all neighbours in the ME and a civil war with the Kurds and a Kurdish state developing in Iraq at their border. The Turkish army will be busy the next years. Not to forget all the specialists they lost recently.

The neo-ottoman ambitions in the ME might have an other effect.

There has been a lot talking about the end of the dollar for a long time, we will see.

We had a pretty good wall in Germany recently.

 

Time is known to be the most honest person. We'll see.

It was especially funny.

 

The sad Truth is Germany can do nothing against Erdogan.

1. Merkel invited millions of IQ 60 Muslim illiterate male youth freeloaders from Africa and Asia to enjoy benefits of German welfare state.
Erdogan can either accelerate the stream of parasites or minimize it.




2. Five Millions of Turks have already undermined German politic and most of German parties. Nothing can be done without their acceptance. Therefore
the biggest German newspaper Bild preventiv ask German Turks 'to be calm' and 'to be nice' to Germans today.

Germans love Turks,

I hope you will not allow yourself to be misled by Erdogan. Let us be proud of the joint achievements. Through you, guest workers Germany is a richer, more colorful, more creative. One of our best football players, Mesut Özil is of Turkish descent. Fatih Akin, German-Turkish, is a world renowned film Director ("Against the wall").

My vegetable seller Ali am Olivaer Platz in Berlin has the best cherries and citrus fruits. Every lunchtime I eat in the case of Adnan, the philosophical farmer from Anatolia.
We live well with each other, we Turks, we are German.

Cem Özdemir, of Turkish descent, is the head of the Green.
We have become a people with brown, blue eyes. With blond, black hair. This Erdogan is not allowed to ruin it.

Sincerely

http://www.bild.de/news/standards/franz-josef-wagner/liebe-deutsche-tuerken-52612576.bild.html

3. Germany is lost.

A Caliphate will run the country in twenty years.

 

No such thing. Given what sparked this most recent brouhaha, Ibrahim should have to spend the next month in Berlin with constant media harassment and zero security.

eta, Lauren Southern - corporatist noise in alt-media wrapping.

 

ha ha pure comedy.

And Turkey is at war with russia since hundreds of years. Turkey is at war with all its neighbors. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan...have massive conflicts with turkey,

China doesnt even allow turks to enter regulary because teh Uighur conflict.

But who cares?

 

They're gods like Washington, and make up their own laws ...so don't expect legality. I believe it was Lavrov who said in regard to sanctions, Washington uses political means for its own economic gain.

 

so much for free market and enterprise...

 

Should Russia ever go to war with Turkey, it is so hated that it will be eaten alive by its neighbors.

Russia was constructing pipes to ship gas through Bulgaria into southern and eastern Europe. It's the poorest country in the EU and it had given the Bulgarians tens of thousands of jobs. It would also have become a hub in the transport of gas, and Bulgaria would have gained millions each year which it needed desperately.

But oh no, that couldn't be allowed by the Washington controlled EU, so they began passing laws that would hinder Russia from making a profit from its own gas. This forced Putin to switch from South Stream to Turk Stream, cutting out Bulgaria completely. Needless to say the Bulgarian government was thrown into a turmoil, and today it is freaking out even more so as it realizes that they will be dependent on Turkey for gas. Now that's almost as bad as depending on Ukraine... and we all know how that turned out.

Germany with its 'in your face' thing, was denying the southern nations gas from Russia so they would be forced to buy American gas which they could ill afford, while they themselves were adding another pipe to Nordstream. You figure!

Russia now is considering two pipelines, one through Turkey into Greece, and one through Bulgaria. ..which is smart since Erdogan is not too stable. The only reason he's in power is because he promised his followers to restore Turkey's Ottoman greatness... which means re-establishing Turkish control over Mosul, Kurkuq, Alleppo, the Aegean islands, the city of Thessaloniki, Cyprus, etc. Erdogan's words not mine.

 

The thing about Turkey is, it's a country, and can do what it wants.
Germany has warned German businesses, but it can't block anything until an EU/Turkish embargo.
Turkey are being allowed to continue because of helping with Syria - When my own PM (prime minister) (whom I happen to support) left The US after meeting President Trump for the first time, didn't fly home afterwards, no, the PM (Theresa May) (the prime minister is like the president in my country, and above her is the queen, and who isn't allowed to get political).. Flew from the US to Turkey to secure a defence deal with Turkey worth £100m

 

Money to be made in buying enough BMW and Mercedes Benz privately and selling them yourself in Turkey with a little markup price given this recent development between Germany & Turkey.

Thank you.

It could help German auto makers and yourselves (you private sellers buying and selling these to the Turkish market) since it's legal and there probably will be a gap in the market.

 

Turkey demands are that they will release the German citizen, if Germany gives them the two Turkish Generals that were part of the coup. Greece had the same problem with the Turkish officers that ran there for refuge. The court said that they can't be returned since their life would be in danger, and yet Turkey was demanding it. I don't know what happened. Maybe they shipped them off to Germany.

I don't think Erdogan can fully understand why they were not being sent back. He probably sees it as an insult towards Turkey as not being powerful enough to be worthy of respect. It's a might makes right mentality, which is prevalent in Washington as well... although there are some constraints because of our Christianity foundation.

 

Germany is also a country and can do what it wants. Do we agree in that?

That Germany issued a travel and investment warning makes investment of german corporations almost impossible in turkey.

 

Its free. Turkey is ruled by a despot. No one can guarantee that your investment is safe there. All what our government does is to stop insurance for investments there. And that means no germans will invest in that oreintal shithole anymore.

 

Sweet dreams pops... Sleep well...

 

And if businesses chose to ignore this warning?
Then what can Germany do since any trade with Germany is trade with the EU and countries can't have their own trade deals within the EU?
It's just a warning Germany have issued, nothing more.
Germany lack the ability to do anything about it except warn and moan and go blah blah blah.

 

Business cant chose to ignore this warning, because it must be reliable towards its investors. Without the Hermes guarantees from the German government the leaders of any corporation are hold personal accountable for any losses from their investors. This means when germany ends the Hermes guarantees, no business man will invest there anymore because he is hold accountable with his own private prroperty.

 

The video shows why Merkel didn't allow Erdogan to speak and arouse even more Turkish nationalism. Germany originally had a law that migrant workers could not stay in Germany for over two years. Managers and owners found it burdensome to train new workers every two years so they changed the law.

Most migrants from non Islamic nations returned home as their own lands prospered, but not the Muslims. They were forced by their home countries to remain there so as to propagate Islam. This is what the the problem is, but it gets worse.

Since Islam is a political entity as well as a religion, any non Islamic people living on lands which was once part of Islam, are seen by Muslims as being an insult to their faith; for if Islam feels triumphant over those they have conquered, then they too must feel that they have triumphed over Islam. The lands therefore must be returned to Islam at any cost.

This mentality is now being carried over to the neighborhoods in Europe where Muslims have settled. The areas in Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, etc. have now become Islamic lands. There is no way they can be taken back without a civil war.

 

Who will fight?
The amount of youth Muslims in Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden is already now 30 - 40 %.
The only solution would be the 'white flight' to USA, Canada, Australia and Russia.