Dutch–Turkish diplomatic incident

Germany and Turkey want to improve their ties, Germany's foreign minister said after meeting the Turkish prime minister on May 11, seeking to reverse a deterioration in relations.

Speaking after meeting Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım in London, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said the countries needed to do more to improve relations.

The regression in relations between Turkey and the European Union has started to slow down following the April 16 referendum in Turkey when President Tayyip Erdoğan got what he wanted: a shift from a parliamentary to an executive presidential form of government.

European Union foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said on April 28 that accession talks with Turkey have not been halted and she still wants it to join, if Ankara can meet necessary conditions.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was in Malta on April 28 to attend the Gymnich meeting of the European Union foreign ministers, in his first encounter with his EU colleagues after the Turkish referendum and the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that reinstates monitoring process on Turkey after 13 years.

Germany on April 28 urged fellow EU nations not to end membership talks with Turkey because the country is key to European interests.

Austria has led calls for the negotiations to be ditched, saying President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has violated the basic EU rule of law and democratic norms candidate countries must put in place.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will attend a European Union meeting in Malta on April 28 amid increasing tension between the bloc and Ankara due to the former's criticisms of the deterioration of rights in the problematic candidate country which have been fueled by a referendum that gave President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sweeping new powers.

Turkey will launch a foreign policy move through presidential visits to critical countries in May in an attempt to reshape the country's relationships with the international community after months of domestic political tension fractured Turkey's bonds with its traditional allies.
 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has commented on the results of the April 16 constitutional referendum, in which the "yes" camp controversially won a slim victory, declaring that "a win is a win."

"I come from a football background. It doesn't matter if you win 1-0 or 5-0. The ultimate goal is to win the game," Erdoğan told CNN on April 18.

Turkey's relations with Europe have been passing through a difficult phase due to Europe's stance on the April 16 referendum and last year's coup attempt, Turkish FM Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said.

"Our relations are going through a difficult phase, as the attitude of the EU and some European countries has been a great disappointment," he told Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 17 to seek "respectful dialogue" within the country after his narrow win in a referendum extending his powers.