German Chancellor Angela Merkel will pay a one-day working visit to Turkey on Feb. 2 amid ongoing bilateral disagreements between Ankara and Berlin, with the German leader pursuing dialogue with Turkey due to the countries’ increasingly strained relations.
Merkel will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and PM Binali Yıldırım, as well as opposition party leaders, and visit the parliament in Ankara.
Joint efforts to address the refugee crisis, cooperation in the fight against terrorism and economic ties are all expected to be on the agenda of the talks. Turkish nationals that have applied for asylum in Germany since a failed military coup in Turkey in July 2016 and accusations that Turkish imams in Germany have been involved in spying activities for Ankara will also be prominent in discussions.