The German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel has arrived back in Germany. After one year in a Turkish prison he was allowed to leave the country on Friday evening. Chancellor Angela Merkel was delighted to hear of the release of the journalist.
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The German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel, released from the Turkish prison where he had been detained, has now arrived back in Germany.
"I am delighted for him, his wife and his family, who have a very difficult year behind them, separated as they were," declared the Chancellor in response to the news from Turkey of Deniz Yücel’s release.
Angela Merkel thanked all those who had worked for his release, in particular the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs. "We can see that dialogue is perhaps not without its uses," said Angela Merkel at lunchtime on Friday during a press conference at the Federal Chancellery with the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
The Chancellor also pointed to the way civil society had supported Deniz Yücel. Many people in Germany and beyond Germany’s borders have toiled ceaselessly to advance his case and ensure that he was not forgotten. Angela Merkel stressed that there are other similar, if less prominent cases in Turkey. She called for a swift trial for all of them, in accordance with the rule of law. She reported that she had made this quite clear to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim during their talks on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, deputy government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer welcomed the news that Deniz Yücel was to be released. The news from Turkey had already been confirmed by the Federal Foreign Office.
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel declared, "I am very pleased with this decision by the Turkish judiciary. And I am even happier for Deniz Yücel and his family. This is a good day for all of us. I want to expressly thank the Turkish government for what it has done to help speed up the procedure."
On Thursday, during talks with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Chancellor Angela Merkel had pushed for a swift trial for Deniz Yücel, in accordance with the rule of law. Following the meeting Angela Merkel declared, "We are aware that our bilateral relations were in deep water, and in some ways still are. But we are endeavouring step by step to resolve the cases that are responsible for this."
In talks with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, she had pointed out, as she has repeatedly done, that this case is particularly urgent – as are all the other cases. "The expectation that a charge will be forthcoming is great. And I made this very clear to the Prime Minister," said Angela Merkel.
The Chancellor further reported that the two heads of government had discussed questions relating to the rule of law. The German side has always stressed that it condemns the attempted coup in Turkey. Nevertheless investigations must remain proportionate. She said she had made it plain "that we would like to see rule-of-law mechanisms and that we will push for these". In this regard, she continued, the German side has "many concerns".
Angela Merkel and Binali Yildirim also discussed the major importance of German-Turkish relations. On the one side, differences exist in "how we see values and the way these are translated into practice". On the other, the two countries have shared interests – even in complicated times. These result partly from the fact that three million people with Turkish roots today live in Germany. They are a bridge between cultures, enabling the two sides to deal reasonably with one another. The Chancellor also mentioned the fact that both countries belong to NATO.