German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Thursday in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an effort to strengthen bilateral relations and persuade Turkey to help return Syrian refugees to their country.
Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Ankara, where he signed a deal with Erdogan for the sale of 20 Eurofighter jets to Turkey, a move made possible after Germany lifted its veto on the deal.
At a press conference with Erdogan, Merz said his government has stood by Israel since the Hamas-led October 7 massacre and supports its right to self-defense. "There was only one decision that could have prevented countless unnecessary casualties. Hamas should have released the hostages earlier and laid down its arms. This war would have ended immediately," he said. Merz added that he hopes the war is nearing its end with a cease-fire agreement mediated by the US and Turkey.
Erdogan rejected Merz's statements, saying, "Hamas doesn't have bombs or nuclear weapons, but Israel has all of these, and it uses them against Gaza, for example with last night's bombings. Don't you see what's happening in Germany? Don't you follow it? Beyond the attacks on Gaza, Israel has always sought to oppress it through hunger and genocide."
The clash came during a visit intended to strengthen relations, at a time when Turkey is in a favorable position with the West and NATO following what is seen as a series of diplomatic gains in Syria and in the mediation of a Gaza cease-fire.
Merz welcomed Turkey's purchase of 20 Eurofighter jets, made possible by Germany's lifting of its veto, and said Russia's aggressive policy poses a threat to NATO. "In this context, the German government explicitly welcomes Turkey's decision to buy the jets," he said. "They will serve the alliance's collective security."
Merz also criticized Turkey's suppression of its opposition, referring to the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, in a purported corruption investigation. "Turkey has taken decisions that still fall short of the standards of rule of law and democracy as we understand them," he said. "I expressed my concern about issues that do not meet our expectations, such as judicial independence."
According to AFP, a source in Turkey's Defense Ministry said Ankara hopes to gain support for joining the European defense program, an initiative facing Greek opposition that could block the required consensus. The report said Germany has indicated it would support Turkey's accession.
During the talks, Merz asked Turkey to take back more rejected asylum seekers. Germany also seeks to advance the return of migrants to Syria and hopes for Ankara's assistance, given its close ties with Damascus. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadpfuhl visited Syria Thursday, meeting with President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Erdogan reiterated Turkey's desire to join the European Union. Merz said he views Turkey as "a close partner of the European Union" and expressed his wish to develop bilateral economic relations, "including in the fields of transportation and migration."
