Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu Held Diplomatic and Financial Meetings in Berlin
(BERLIN) – Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Minister of State for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Minister of Finance in Berlin, the capital of Germany, and met with the managers of the employer organization BDI. In his evaluation of the meetings, İmamoğlu said, “We talked about the grounds for cooperation.”
Evaluation and Interviews
Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB) and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu held a series of diplomatic and financial meetings in Berlin, the capital of Germany. İmamoğlu, respectively, at different times of the day; Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Annalena Baerbock held inter-delegation meetings with Minister of State for Economic Cooperation and Development Niels Annen and Minister of Finance Christian Lindner. In the evening, İmamoğlu met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) Tanja Gönner and her team. IMM Secretary General Can Akın Çağlar also accompanied İmamoğlu during the financial negotiations.
In Berlin on an Important Date
İmamoğlu evaluated the meetings he held with German state officials and employer organizations with the following words: “When we come to Berlin from Istanbul, of course we are here on an important date. It is the 35th anniversary of our sister city relationship and the Turkish -German friendship agreement, which has actually reached another phase “I’m in Berlin on the 100th anniversary of the treaty.”
Grounds for Cooperation and the Issue of Sister Cities
İmamoğlu stated that they discussed the grounds of cooperation and the issue of sister cities during the meetings. “We had discussions on the ability of local governments in Turkey to benefit from funds, European Union relations, the resources we can create with Germany, and irregular migration. We also reached a consensus on the gathering of sister cities in Istanbul in 2025,” he said
Business World and Customs Union
Finally, İmamoğlu met with the President and management of BDI, Germany’s most important business organization, and discussed the commercial activities of German-owned companies in Turkey. Ideas were shared about the need for revision of the Customs Union. As a result of the meetings, decisions were taken to improve relations between the business world and local governments.
