Overview
- Received with full honors in Ankara, the chancellor met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to press deeper cooperation on the economy, migration, security and a closer EU track for Turkey, framed by rule‑of‑law conditions.
- At their joint news conference, Erdoğan accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza, while Friedrich Merz restated that Germany stands by Israel and defended its right to self‑defence.
- Germany recently cleared the delivery of 20 Eurofighter jets to Turkey, and both leaders voiced interest in broader defense‑industrial cooperation within NATO parameters.
- Berlin sought Turkish help to increase returns of rejected migrants, explored coordination on possible returns to Syria, and asked Ankara to use its leverage with Hamas to advance the next phase of the fragile ceasefire.
- Merz scheduled no meetings with opposition figures and offered only limited public criticism on judicial independence, drawing domestic criticism from SPD and Green lawmakers.