Last week, German
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel interrupted his holiday on the North Sea
to respond to Turkey’s jailing of a German human-rights activist.
Gabriel warned German tourists about the dangers of visiting Turkey, and
advised German firms to think twice before investing in a country where
the authorities’ commitment to the rule of law is increasingly dubious.
This amounts to a new
German policy toward Turkey, and it further confirms Germany’s status
as an economic great power. Gabriel’s announcement sent shockwaves
through the Turkish government, because it recalled Russian President
Vladimir Putin’s response to Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane in
2015.
The sanctions that Russia imposed cost Turkey’s already-struggling
economy $15 billion, and eventually forced Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan to offer a groveling apology.
Putin’s aggressive
response came as no surprise. By contrast, Germany’s decision to respond
in a similar fashion marks a break from its generally more
accommodating diplomatic style.
Read more: Germany’s New Power Of The Purse
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