Foreign Minister Shows Solidarity for Turkey

In a demonstration of support following the deadly Istanbul bombings last week, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer flew to Ankara for a meeting with his counterpart Abdullah Gul on Monday. The four-hour stop-over which includes a visit at the German embassy, is intended as "a gesture of solidarity with the Turkish people," said Fischer’s spokesman Walter Lindner. Germany, home to Europe’s largest expatriate Turkish community, has called on the European Union to open its arms to the largely Muslim neighbor. In the days following the attacks at two synagogues, the British consulate and HSBC bank, many politicians in Germany and Europe questioned Ankara’s aspirations for entering the EU. With his trip, Fischer clearly throws his weight behind Turkey’s EU bid.