ANKARA, Oct 8 (AFP) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will pay an official visit to Germany on October 18-19 as part of efforts to drum up support for his country's drive to join the European Union ahead of a critical December summit, a senior Turkish diplomat said Friday.
Gul will meet his German counterpart Joschka Fischer, but the rest of his itinerary has not yet been finalized, the diplomat said.
The visit comes after the release on Wednesday of a progress report by the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, declaring Ankara ready to begin membership talks with the 25-nation bloc.
The final decision on the commission's recommendation will be made by EU leaders at a summit on December 17.