Turkey, Germany agree to mend ties

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Germany agreed Friday to work towards improving bilateral relations after a period of tensions between Ankara and Berlin.

Speaking to reporters in Munich following a meeting with his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said they have agreed on deepening dialogue and cooperation.

"As foreign ministers, we will continue working together to strengthen and deepen our bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany as well as our cooperation on many regional issues," Çavuşoğlu said.

The meeting, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, coincided with the release Friday of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel, who was arrested in Turkey last year on suspicion of spreading terrorist propaganda.

Çavuşoğlu stressed that Yücel's release was an independent decision of the court and the government did not have any influence on the ruling.

He noted that his government only asked the Ministry of Justice to speed up the proceedings.

The long detention period of Yücel, a correspondent for the German daily Die Welt, had been a source of friction between the two countries.

Despite calls by German politicians for Yücel's release, the Turkish government ruled out any political influence on the judiciary and advised them to wait for the decision of its courts.

The 32nd High Penal Court in Istanbul on Friday ordered Yücel's release from custody pending trial.

"We overcame one of the issues between us. Now we have to focus on a more positive agenda," Çavuşoğlu stressed.

- GABRIEL THANKS TURKISH GOVERNMENT
German Foreign Minister Gabriel also welcomed Yücel's release.

"I know that this was an independent decision of the court," he said, thanking the Turkish government for helping to speed up the proceedings.

"This is a signal that diplomacy -- without megaphones, speaking to each other -- can solve difficult issues," he said.

Gabriel said Germany and Turkey would enhance dialogue and cooperation in various fields, including the economy, energy and security and would try to overcome remaining differences.

"We are partners in NATO. We have the same security interests," he added.