Sabine Kinkartz, Deutsche Welle (Germany)
According to an old saying, hope is the last thing we lose. But did anyone seriously believe that Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel could perform miracles by personally showing up in Ankara? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would not dream of giving in. For what feels like an eternity, he has been jerking the German government's rope. As such, the situation regarding the 260 German soldiers stationed on the military airbase at Incirlik was a welcome bargaining chip. Door open, door shut - things are done according to how Erdogan feels. After all, he has the power in Turkey.