Germany, Turkey pledge to thaw ties that coup crackdown and arrests froze

Germany and Turkey's foreign ministers on Saturday agreed to pull out all the stops to improve ties that have soured due to disputes over Ankara's post-coup crackdown and the arrests of German citizens in Turkey, but they stressed differences remain. Meeting in an ornate imperial palace in central Germany, the pair said they were keen to make amends after falling out as Ankara rounded up suspected supporters of a failed 2016 coup, a comedian mocked Turkey's president and a German-Turkish journalist was detained without charge. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel pointed to historic links between the countries including the role Turkish guest workers played in rebuilding Germany after World War Two, Turkey's hospitality in taking in German refugees during the Nazi era and the 3 million-strong Turkish community here.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines http://ift.tt/2D5ehVd