Daily Times

ANKARA: Ankara’s relations with NATO ally Germany, hit by a deepening row, are expected to improve alongside a general upturn in ties with the EU early next year, boosting Turkish export and tourism prospects, an adviser to President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters.

“I expect more calm with Germany after the Sept. 24 (German) election. I expect tensions to ease,” Erdogan’s chief economic adviser Cemil Ertem said in an interview on Tuesday.

Turkish-German ties have come under pressure since Erdogan launched a crackdown after a failed coup last year. Germany has criticised mass arrests, refused to extradite people Turkey says were involved in the putsch and demanded the release of around a dozen German citizens arrested in recent months.

“Turkey’s relations with the European Union will be rapidly repaired from the first quarter of 2018. I think Turkey’s exports to the EU will increase further,” Ertem said.

The expected improvement in EU relations was also expected to lead to a “very good year” for tourism in 2018, he added. The number of European tourists visiting Turkey has declined due to security concerns over the last couple of years.

Ertem also said the economy would grow around 5.5-6 percent this year and growth next year was seen in a range of 5-7 percent.