Over two days in two cities, GMF's Ankara office Ankara Speakers' Series brought to Turkey debate and discussion about German-Turkish and transatlantic relations in light of the new German government of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In Ankara, Conny Mayer, former Bundestag Member from the Christian Social Union party, and Jutta Wolke from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Turkey desk spoke during a lively dinner event attended by a diverse group from the Ankara policy community, including ambassadors and political party officials. The dinner conversation focused on the perceptions of Germany's Christian Democrats toward Turkey and Turkey's "Islamic character."

Among the ideas bandied about were thoughts that there aren't drastic changes to be expected in the CDU-SPD coalition’s foreign policy. The coalition government will attempt to maintain strong ties with the Western camp, solve the Middle East question, and support Iraq from outside. "Continuity" was a watchword for relations with Turkey.

Some thought Turkey must change, and that it would be the best propaganda for Turkey. Today’s Turkey maybe isn't mature enough to become an EU member, with a lacking education system and students who must be pushed to become more open-minded.

In Istanbul, Daniela Schwarzer from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Marina Zapf from the Financial Times Deutschland, and GMF Berlin's Constanze Stelzenmüller and Heike MacKerron joined in the discussions. The Istanbul program began with a luncheon that included foundation and private sector representatives. It followed with a panel entitled "The New German Government: Implications for Turkey and Europe."

Highlights from the panel included:

Daniela Schwarzer:

• The crisis in the EU after the failed constitutional referenda is mainly a crisis of national political leadership.
• Through the French "no," a taboo was broken. For the first time in European Union history, a population in a founding member voted against their leaders' will and showed that you can be against European policies without being nationalist or anti-European.

Conny Mayer:

• Reasons for the fear of Turkey: geography, large population, cultural differences, and economic problems within the EU.
• The CDU/CSU policies reflect the popular opinion of the German electorate, and German politicians want to get re-elected.

Marina Zapf:

• Turkey still defines every single issue under unitary state claims, and examples include Orhan Pamuk trial, the Armenian question, and refusal to discuss the Kurdish problem.