Human Rights Watch urged Friedrich Merz to condemn Turkey’s crackdown on opposition members, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
During his first official visit to Ankara, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a deeper strategic alliance between Europe and Turkey to face global challenges.
Standing beside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Merz spoke shortly after Turkey and the United Kingdom sealed a multi-billion-euro deal for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
Germany, part of the jet’s manufacturing consortium, recently lifted its ban on exporting the aircraft to Turkey.
Defence Cooperation Sparks Disagreement
Reports indicate that Germany supports Turkey’s inclusion in the €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, which aims to boost Europe’s defence capacity.
SAFE allows non-EU members, such as Turkey, to join defence projects.
Greece objects to Turkey’s involvement, demanding that Ankara abandon threats of war tied to sea border disputes between the two NATO allies.
Merz avoided discussing SAFE but emphasised cooperation.
He said Germany and Turkey must better use their partnership’s vast potential in the coming years.
He added that great-power politics define a new geopolitical era, requiring Europeans to expand strategic partnerships, especially with Turkey.
Tensions Over Rights and Gaza
Disagreements emerged over human rights and Gaza during the joint news conference.
Human Rights Watch again called on Merz to denounce Turkey’s repression of the opposition and İmamoğlu’s arrest.
Authorities have detained the opposition mayor since March on corruption charges, which he rejects, and filed new espionage accusations this week.
Merz avoided naming İmamoğlu but said Turkey’s decisions still fall short of European standards of democracy and rule of law.
Erdoğan defended Turkey’s courts, saying that anyone who violates the law faces judicial action.
On Gaza, Merz affirmed Germany’s unwavering support for Israel since the Holocaust while insisting that this does not exempt Israeli leaders from criticism.
He condemned Hamas for not releasing hostages or disarming, arguing that those actions could have ended the war immediately.
Erdoğan countered that Israel uses “starvation and genocide” as warfare methods and accused Germany of ignoring the imbalance in weaponry.
He asked pointedly, “As Germany, can’t you see this?”
