ANTALYA, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 4: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Ankara, Turkey on November 4, 2017. (Photo: Cem Ozdel/IC)

ANKARA, November 4 -- The foreign ministers of Turkey and Germany held a surprise meeting in Turkey's southern province of Antalya on Saturday, and discussed the bilateral relations, local broadcaster NTV reported.
  The two ministers, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Sigmar Gabriel, are in Antalya for the 2017 Turkish Airlines Open golf tournament held as part of the European Tour Rolex Series.
  "I met Sigmar Gabriel in Antalya informally to discuss bilateral relations, including the difficult issues and mutual expectations," Cavusoglu confirmed their meeting on his Twitter on Saturday.
  The ties between the two countries have been strained from a deep mistrust. Ankara has been accusing Germany of tolerating activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in its territories and of offering asylum to the followers of Fethulla Gulen after the coup attempt last year.
  Berlin, in return, criticized Turkey for arresting German journalists and activists on baseless grounds.
  Despite disagreements, both sides have expressed interest in dialogue to improve relations between the two allies.