ANKARA — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared Thursday that Berlin supports Türkiye’s path toward European Union membership, underscoring Ankara’s strategic importance in Europe’s shifting geopolitical order, according to “Hurriyet Daily News”.
On his first official visit to Türkiye as chancellor, Merz met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, announcing plans to launch a strategic dialogue on the Copenhagen criteria and shared security priorities. “We want to continue these discussions going forward,” Merz told reporters during a joint press conference. “As a German and European, I believe Türkiye cannot be excluded from our strategic partnerships.”
Merz praised Türkiye’s growing role in regional and global affairs, particularly its influence in the Middle East, NATO, and global security. He highlighted Türkiye as a “very important actor in all foreign policy and security matters that concern us,” pledging closer cooperation on defense and diplomacy.
Addressing developments in the Middle East, Merz commended Türkiye’s role in facilitating the ongoing ceasefire efforts in Gaza. “The release of hostages and progress toward a ceasefire are very positive steps,” he said, extending gratitude to Türkiye, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. “This process would not have been possible without them.” He confirmed Germany would, for the first time, send personnel to a civilian-military coordination center in southern Israel to support humanitarian and security operations, stressing that any lasting peace in Gaza must exclude Hamas involvement.
While reaffirming Germany’s historical support for Israel, Merz clarified that such support “does not mean unconditional approval of every government decision.”
Turning to defense ties, Merz welcomed Türkiye’s interest in purchasing Eurofighter Typhoon jets, describing the deal as serving “our shared security.” He also pointed to opportunities in transportation, rail infrastructure, and NATO coordination against Russian aggression.
On migration, Merz called cooperation with Türkiye “extremely important,” noting that returns in May exceeded the total number for all of 2024. Marking the 64th anniversary of the Turkish-German Labor Agreement, he thanked Turkish workers for their contributions to Germany’s economic rise, saying, “Without them, Germany’s postwar success would not have been possible.”
Discussing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Merz said both sides agreed on the urgency of ending the war swiftly, including efforts to use frozen Russian assets to arm Ukraine and push Moscow toward negotiations.
“Europe must stay united,” Merz concluded. “And Türkiye’s partnership is essential to that vision.”
