Turkey's Erdoğan seeks better economic, political ties with Germany

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday he would work on improving political and economic ties with Germany during a visit to the country later this month.

Turkey is seeking to improve its relationship with Europe at a time when its ties with the United States have deteriorated and the lira has been falling sharply.

Erdoğan is also travelling to the U.S. to attend a United Nations meeting and will meet with U.S. investors before visiting Germany between Sept. 27 and 29.

"Our priority agenda on my visit to Germany will be completely leaving behind the period experienced in recent years in our political relations," he said at a press conference prior to his departure for the U.S..

"It will (also) be the steps that can be taken to carry our economic ties further on a mutually beneficial basis."

Relations between Germany and Turkey deteriorated after the bloody July 15 coup bid in 2016 that left over 250 people martyred and thousands of others injured.

There has been a slight thaw in recent months since Turkey released one German-Turkish journalist and allowed another German citizen to leave the country.

Germany is home to a three-million-strong Turkish diaspora, the world's largest, many of whom have dual citizenship. German officials believe they have little choice but to improve ties, despite concerns over human rights in Turkey.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said after meeting with his Turkish counterpart on Friday that Erdoğan will not ask for economic aid when he meets Chancellor Angela Merkel.

More recently Ankara has accused the U.S. of waging "economic war" amid a bitter standoff between the NATO allies over the fate of a Christian pastor detained by Ankara.

Erdoğan also met with representatives from U.S. companies in Ankara on Wednesday.