BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Today Istanbul will host a significant conference with some 1,200 businessmen in attendance. The two-day Turkish-German Economic Forum will be the largest meeting yet organized by the Cologne-based Turkish-German Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The congress will bring together representatives and investors from giant German firms and Turkish businessmen, probably paving the way for new avenues of cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who arrived in Turkey last night, will also be there. Good economic relations between the two countries have always reinforced the political relations and friendship between Ankara and Berlin. For many years, Germany has been Turkey’s number one trade partner.
Istanbul and Ankara recently hosted and will host various international economic forums, showing that Turkey is trying to follow a foreign policy-friendly economic course. Ankara is striving to make sure that its economic and foreign policies go hand in hand. In some cases, it’s no secret that bilateral commercial relations help politicians surmount their shared problems.
Owing to the forum, Erdogan will have the opportunity to meet with Chancellor Schroeder, probably in face-to-face talks which will emphasize political aspects of the gathering. Schroeder is among the European leaders who have always actively supported Turkey’s European Union membership. As a matter of fact, for Schroeder and his party, supporting Turkey reaps no political gains at all. On the contrary, the leaders of his rivals, the Christian Democrats, have recently become popular for their anti-Turkish statements, which is why Schroeder’s steady support for us is a fine example of courage and good leadership.
However, Schroeder will also probably offer his views on such sensitive issues as Cyrus, Armenia and the Heybeliada Seminary, including a number of recommendations which might not be welcomed by some circles. However, we should always bear in mind that at least the person saying these things is our true friend.