Turkey: No anti-terror probe against German firms

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Turkey told Germany on Monday that no German firms were being probed by Turkish investigators over suspicions of supporting terrorist groups.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu telephoned his German counterpart Thomas de Maiziere on Monday morning, German Interior Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate told a news conference in Berlin.

Last week, several German newspapers claimed Turkey had requested information on a number of German companies as part of anti-terrorism investigations.

Since the defeated coup attempt in Turkey last year, the Turkish authorities initiated dozens of investigations against local firms owned by people linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is believed to have orchestrated the attempted military takeover that martyred 250 people.

No probe was opened against any German company on suspicion of financing terrorism.

Plate said a list of nearly 700 companies, received via Interpol two months ago, included German firms which had previous business ties with Turkish firms facing anti-terrorism investigations.

The German side was asked to provide Ankara with any relevant information.

Plate said the Turkish side withdrew this list on Saturday, and informed Berlin there had been a communication problem.

Germany is Turkey’s main European economic and trade partner, with nearly 6,800 German companies active in Turkey.

In 2016, bilateral trade volume exceeded €37 billion ($43 billion), and German foreign direct investment reached €13 billion ($15 billion).

Despite recent political tensions between Turkey and Germany, Ankara has underlined strategic ties between the two countries and reassured German businesses that their investments in the country are safe.