Top Turkish, German officials meet in Berlin to discuss tourism

BERLIN (AA) – Turkish and German ministers met in Berlin on Thursday to discuss measures to promote safe and reliable tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s culture and tourism minister, shared a photo on Twitter of the meeting at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Ersoy and Ibrahim Kalin, Turkey’s presidential spokesman, were present at the meeting with Germany’s Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, Federal Government Commissioner for Tourism Thomas Bareiss, and other senior officials.

The meeting follows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s video call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier this month.

Turkey has long been a top destination for German holidaymakers, but the number of German tourists visiting the country significantly decreased last year due to Berlin’s strict travel restrictions and quarantine measures.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said earlier this month that they were discussing various steps with Ankara to facilitate travel in a responsible way, while maintaining necessary measures against COVID-19.