Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sharply criticized the Israeli government after a meeting with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Erdoğan said unprecedented atrocities were being committed in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is putting the security of the entire region at risk with his army’s actions just to stay in office. Gaza has been razed to the ground – “our German friends must see this tragic situation,” said Erdoğan. Turkey has shown courage from the first day of the war in the Gaza Strip and will continue its efforts to achieve a ceasefire.
Steinmeier said after the conversation in Erdoğan’s presidential palace that there was much disagreement. Hamas murdered more than a thousand people in its brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Without October 7th, the war in the Middle East would not exist. However, Turkey and Germany agree that the war must be prevented from spreading into a conflagration across the entire region. And that humanitarian aid and the release of the hostages kidnapped into the Gaza Strip must be taken care of. Turkey “has a very important role to play” in this regard.
In Turkey, Germany’s support for Israel is viewed very critically by large parts of the population. At several stops on Steinmeier’s trip there were demonstrations against Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip and the German government. So far, however, Erdoğan has only added fuel to the mood in his country. Just last weekend, the Turkish president warmly received Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniya in Istanbul. On the other hand, he accused the Israeli government of having “outdone Hitler” with the war in Gaza.
Turkey could mediate in negotiations to release the hostages
Steinmeier’s delegation expressed satisfaction that Turkey apparently wanted to act as a mediator in the efforts to release the hostages. So far, Qatar has been particularly active here, but its efforts have stalled. It was said that Erdoğan could now use this situation to increase Turkey’s importance.
The reason for Steinmeier’s three-day trip to Turkey was actually the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries a hundred years ago. The Federal President also wanted to “express his appreciation for the life stories and life achievements of the millions of people of Turkish origin in Germany.” Because of the changed domestic political situation in Turkey and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the trip now focused on other topics.
Erdoğan suffered a heavy defeat in local elections a month ago. Although he was not up for election himself, his AKP surprisingly fell back to second place. For the first time in almost 50 years, the secular-Kemalist CHP became the strongest force. It now provides mayors in the country’s five largest cities – including Istanbul and Ankara.
Steinmeier also met with top politicians from the secular CHP
During his visit, Steinmeier had already adjusted to the new political situation. He met not only with Erdoğan, but also with CHP leader Özgür Özel and the CHP mayors of Istanbul and Ankara. In the press conference with Erdoğan, the Federal President said that he wished Turkey “a dynamic, democratic and, of course, European-oriented development.”
Steinmeier has been Federal President for seven years, but this was the first time he was in Turkey in this capacity. Meetings with Erdoğan are never easy. There was a scandal during the last trip by a Federal President. Joachim Gauck said in 2014 that he was concerned about trends in Turkey to restrict the rule of law. Erdoğan then accused him of interfering in his country’s internal affairs and said that Gauck still thought he was a pastor who had to preach. But he should better keep his advice to himself.
The mood was also toxic at the state banquet during Erdoğan’s visit to Germany in 2018. In his speech at the time, Steinmeier complained about the persecution of government critics in Turkey and pointed out that there were also German citizens who were imprisoned in Turkey for political reasons. Erdoğan was upset about this. He accused Germany of not pursuing terrorists. Thousands of PKK members are walking around freely and unmolested in the Federal Republic.
Given this history, the Federal President’s entourage was extremely relieved on Wednesday that there was no such scandal again at Steinmeier’s press conference with Erdoğan.