Germany reconsidering Turkey travel warning: Turkish FM

BERLIN – Anadolu Agency

Germany is reconsidering its travel warning for Turkey, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on March 7.

Speaking to reporters at an international tourism fair in Berlin, Çavuşoğlu said he raised the issue during his meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on March 6.

“Now the foreign minister is reconsidering the travel warning,” he said, adding that the current travel advice was not reflecting the current situation in Turkey.

“German tourists will be very comfortable and safe when they come to Turkey,” he added.

Turkey has been one of the most popular travel destinations for German holidaymakers, but the number of visitors declined in recent years due to a series of terror attacks in Turkey and political tensions between Ankara and Berlin.

The number of German tourists dropped from 5.5 million in 2015 to 3.9 million in 2016, according to official figures. In 2017, around 3.5 million German tourists traveled to Turkey.

Amid political tensions with Ankara, the German government warned its citizens last July to exercise caution when travelling to Turkey, saying several German citizens were arrested in the country as part of counter-terrorism investigations.

Çavuşoğlu said Turkey has left behind a difficult process of normalization after a defeated coup in 2016, adding that Ankara and Berlin were now taking steps to rebuild trust.

“As two foreign ministers we did our best to normalize our relations, to create more positive atmosphere in our relations,” he said, referring to his efforts with Gabriel in recent months to overcome tensions.