Hermes as a factor in German Turkish relations?

(Handelsblatt, Berlin, 7 March 201) Turkey and Germany recently agreed to try to “normalize” their fraught relationship. Turkey had adopted hostage-taking as an instrument of foreign policy, with Germany being a target. Germany’s response was to reconsider economic aid and export credit guarantees, to advise German tourists against travel to Turkey, and to put weapons deliveries to Turkey on hold. Between 2006 and 2011 Germany had delivered 354 Leopard 2 tanks to Turkey... Nevertheless, there is every sign that Germany is intent on going back to business as usual as soon as possible. One German-Turkish joint venture, for instance, is helping Turkey to construct its own battle tank, the Altay. The German partner, Rheinmetall, will produce the first 100-200 tanks of the 1,000 planned.

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