Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Hendrik Wüst, minister-president of Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia state, in Ankara on Tuesday, as the German regional leader visited Türkiye to strengthen political and economic ties.

The meeting was confirmed by Turkish diplomatic sources, which did not provide details of the discussions.

Wüst’s visit comes as Türkiye and Germany seek to deepen longstanding relations spanning trade, security, migration and people-to-people ties. Germany is one of Türkiye’s most important European partners, and the two countries maintain regular high-level political contacts.

Fidan most recently visited Germany in May for the third meeting of the Türkiye-Germany Strategic Dialogue. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited Türkiye in March, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to Türkiye in October 2025 for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The relationship has a particularly strong human dimension. A 1961 labour recruitment agreement led to the arrival of large numbers of Turkish workers in West Germany, establishing the foundation for a community that has since become a permanent part of German society.

Around 3 million people of Turkish origin now live in Germany, according to Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, which describes the community as an important link between the two countries and highlights its contribution to Germany’s social, political and economic life.

North Rhine-Westphalia has particularly close ties with Türkiye because of its large population of people with Turkish roots and its extensive economic links with the country.

The state is home to major cities including Cologne, Düsseldorf, Essen and Dortmund and has long been one of the main destinations for Turkish migrants and their descendants.

Wüst’s visit therefore carries significance beyond state-level economic cooperation, with North Rhine-Westphalia serving as one of the main centres of Türkiye-Germany people-to-people relations.

The talks in Ankara came amid efforts by both sides to expand bilateral cooperation while maintaining regular dialogue on Türkiye-EU relations and regional and global issues. (ILKHA)