German-Turkish relations are considered difficult. A rapprochement became apparent during the Chancellor’s visit to Istanbul. But there remains a deep gap in one question.
After years of reluctance, Germany and Turkey want to cooperate more closely again in the armaments sector. After his conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it “natural” that NATO partner Turkey would receive German weapons and was even open to the delivery of Eurofighter fighter jets. However, there was an open confrontation between the two on the subject of the Middle East.
Shortly before the Chancellor’s second visit to Turkey in his three-year term in office, it became known that the federal government would again allow arms exports to Turkey on a larger scale. This year, as of October 13, 69 permits worth 103 million have already been issued. These included war weapons worth 840,000 euros.
The value of exports approved for Turkey is in the three-digit million range for the first time since 2011. Most recently, the export of 28 torpedoes and 101 guided missiles was approved. Until the failed military coup in Turkey in 2016 and the invasion of northern Syria, the federal government had approved large-scale arms exports to the country, but then scaled them back significantly. The deliveries are controversial not only because of Turkey’s international actions, but also because of the human rights situation in the country.
Talks about Eurofighter to Türkiye are “moving forward”
Regarding Turkey’s intended purchase of 40 Eurofighter fighter jets, Scholz (SPD) pointed out that discussions were being held between Great Britain and Turkey about this. This is something “that will continue to evolve, but is now being driven from there.”
The jets are co-produced by Germany. The federal government must give its consent for this. Erdogan expressed satisfaction and said that they wanted to “finally put behind us” the problems of the past related to the procurement of defense industry products.
Revival of German-Turkish government consultations
After a break of almost nine years, Scholz and Erdogan also want to revive the German-Turkish government consultations. These are meetings in which, in addition to the heads of government of both countries, several ministers also take part. Scholz called the resumption of the format a “visible sign” of the quality of the relationships.
However, when asked about concrete results on the topic of migration, both sides remained covered. The federal government wants to deport criminals not only to Afghanistan, but also to Syria. She is looking for cooperation partners for this purpose. Scholz confirmed his intention to deport people to Syria again. However, he avoided the question of whether Turkey could help.
The Chancellor has promised to deport migrants without the right to stay “on a large scale”. Along with Syria and Afghanistan, Turkey is one of the countries with the largest numbers. According to the federal government, 15,789 Turkish citizens were required to leave the country at the end of September, 1,200 more than five months earlier. This compares to 441 deportations in the first half of the year. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) recently stated that Turkey had agreed to take back Turkish citizens more quickly. However, there have been no concrete announcements about this.
Erdogan accuses Israel of genocide in front of Scholz
Scholz and Erdogan remained divided on the subject of the Middle East. In the presence of the Chancellor, the Turkish President accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Scholz rejected that. “Germany does not have the assessment (…) that the accusation of genocide is justified,” he said. However, he emphasized that civilian victims should be mourned equally, regardless of which side. There should be no “shared suffering. The Chancellor emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself, but must comply with international law. “That is a requirement that goes without saying.”
Scholz then discussed the differences of opinion on Platform
Willingness to cooperate on the issue of Ukraine
Turkey and Germany want to take joint steps on the subject of the Ukraine war – but the announcements remained vague. Ankara is an important partner for the federal government because it maintains good relations with the Kremlin. Scholz announced that he wanted to explore how Turkey and Germany could cooperate on the issue. “We both stand closely with Ukraine.”
Turkey has already acted as a mediator in the Russian war of aggression and played a key role, for example in the now suspended corridor across the Black Sea for the export of Ukrainian grain. For several weeks now, the Chancellor has been increasingly promoting another Ukraine peace conference, in which Russia will also take part.
Source: Stern
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