"We need to maintain dialogue," Cavusoglu said, as quoted by the Bild newspaper, adding that Erdogan has repeatedly held telephone conversations with Merkel and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
According to the newspaper, Erdogan is considering two options for a meeting with Merkel — inviting the chancellor to Ankara or visiting Germany himself.
The position on the rectification of relations has been supported by the country currently holding the presidency. As Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has explained his stance, the bloc should "try and better relations" with a southeastern neighbor, especially as it plays an important role as a NATO member.
The Turkish president has recently visited another key EU player — France to meet with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. However, despite the friendly welcome, the talk about Ankara's EU accession bid turned sour: Macron offered Erdogan EU partnership instead of membership.
READ MORE: Macron Offers Erdogan EU 'Partnership' Instead of Membership
Despite that, Erdogan is holding firm to the course he set in late December 2017, aimed at improving Ankara's relations with particular members of the 28-nation bloc and the European Union as a whole.
A similar position has been voiced by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who said that Ankara and Berlin should view each other as equal partners, claiming that Germany did "not fully understand" the "trauma" that his country suffered during the drastic events that took place one and a half years ago.
READ MORE: 'Equal Partners'? Turkey's FM Calls for a 'Fresh Start' With Germany
Relations between Berlin and Ankara deteriorated following the failed coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016. Ankara has accused Berlin of providing asylum to the coup plotters, while Berlin has strongly criticized the detention of German journalists and human rights activists in Turkey. Another issue that has undermined bilateral relations was the cancelation of Erdogan's campaign rallies in Germany ahead of a referendum that granted the Turkish president sweeping executive powers in March 2017.
READ MORE: Erdogan Tries to Patch Up Relations With EU After Year of Finger-Pointing
