By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

German economy minister is planning to visit Turkey in October to boost bilateral economic ties, local media reported on Thursday.

Peter Altmaier, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, will be accompanied by a 80-member business delegation of leading enterprises during his visit on Oct. 25-26, German news agency DPA reported.

A first meeting of the recently formed Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) would also be held during the visit.

Political relations between Ankara and Berlin suffered several setbacks in the past two years, but both sides took steps in the recent months towards normalization of ties.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to pay an official visit to Berlin next month.

EU heavyweight Germany remains Turkey’s main economic and trade partner, despite political disagreements between governments on a number of issues. In 2017, the bilateral trade volume reached €37.6 billion ($43.6 billion).

Turkish exports to Germany increased in 2017 by 5.4 percent to €16.1 billion ($18.7 billion), while Germany’s exports fell by 2.2 percent to €21.5 billion ($24.9 billion).