Hendrik Wüst (AA Photo)
Hendrik Wüst, the premier of Germany’s most populous state, began a three-day visit to Türkiye on Sept. 28 to mark the 65th anniversary of the landmark labor recruitment agreement between Germany and Türkiye.
The 1961 deal paved the way for hundreds of thousands of Turkish workers to move to Germany as “guest workers,” laying the foundations for one of the country’s largest migrant communities.
Wüst, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, is making the first visit to Türkiye by a head of government from the western German state.
He is scheduled to begin his trip in the capital Ankara, where he will hold political talks before traveling to Istanbul on Sept. 29.
His Istanbul program includes an economic conference and the presentation of an award recognizing tolerance and intercultural reconciliation to former Germany national football team captain İlkay Gündoğan.
Around one-third of Germany’s population of Turkish descent lives in North Rhine-Westphalia, underscoring the state’s close social and economic ties with Türkiye.
Bilateral trade between North Rhine-Westphalia and Türkiye is worth around 10 billion euros to 12 billion euros ($11.4 billion-$13.7 billion) annually, accounting for roughly one-fifth of total German-Turkish trade, according to figures cited by Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).
Speaking to Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, Wüst stressed the need to reform and further develop the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, saying both countries would benefit from more effective mechanisms for resolving legal disputes.
He described Türkiye as a country offering significant opportunities for Germany, particularly given its role as a strong NATO partner.
