Human Rights Watch urged Merz to denounce Turkey’s crackdown on the opposition and the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. During his first official visit to Ankara, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a deeper strategic partnership with Turkey to face global challenges. Standing beside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Merz spoke just after Turkey and the United Kingdom completed a multibillion-euro deal for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Germany, part of the consortium producing the jets, had recently ended its long objection to exporting them to Turkey. Reports indicated that Germany supports Turkey’s involvement in the €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence initiative, meant to boost Europe’s military strength. The plan allows non-EU countries, including Turkey, to take part. Greece rejected this, insisting Turkey drop its war threat over sea boundary disputes before joining. Merz avoided mentioning SAFE directly but emphasized stronger cooperation.
Calls for Strategic Cooperation
“Germany and Turkey must better use the vast potential of our relations in the coming years,” Merz stated. He said the world was entering a new era of great power politics, demanding stronger European alliances. “We must expand our strategic partnerships, and Turkey’s inclusion is essential,” he declared. Tensions appeared during the joint press event as human rights issues and Gaza dominated discussions. Human Rights Watch again urged Merz to speak against Turkey’s political repression and İmamoğlu’s detention. The opposition leader, seen as Erdoğan’s main rival, has remained in custody since March on corruption charges he rejects. Authorities recently added espionage accusations against him. Merz avoided naming him but said Turkey’s decisions still fall short of Europe’s rule-of-law and democracy standards. Erdoğan defended Turkey’s courts, saying, “If anyone violates the law, the judiciary must act.”
Divisions Over Gaza and Human Rights
Merz reaffirmed Germany’s unwavering support for Israel since its founding after the Holocaust. He clarified that this support does not prevent Germany from criticising Israeli government actions. He repeated his criticism of Israel’s Gaza operations, saying Israel acted in self-defence and that Hamas could have ended the war by freeing hostages and surrendering. Erdoğan countered fiercely, accusing Israel of committing “starvation and genocide.” He argued that Hamas lacks nuclear or large-scale weapons, unlike Israel, and accused Germany of ignoring this imbalance. “As Germany, can’t you see this?” Erdoğan asked.
