Turkish President
Erdogan is coming to Germany on November 17th
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is coming to Germany for a visit. photo
© Tunahan Turhan/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The Turkish president repeatedly attacks Israel and the West in the Gaza war. Now he is traveling to Germany. A difficult visit for Chancellor Scholz.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is coming for a short visit on November 17th Germany. As deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann announced in Berlin on Friday, a joint dinner with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is planned in the Federal Chancellery. The conversation covered “the entire range of political topics,” she said, mentioning, among other things, the situation in the Middle East. Before the meeting with Scholz, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will receive Erdogan.
It is the president’s first visit to Germany since 2020, when he took part in the Libya conference of then Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). Scholz invited the Turkish head of state to Germany after his re-election as president in May of this year. The Chancellor traveled to Turkey for an inaugural visit in March 2022.
Turkey as an important partner
The visit is considered sensitive, especially because of Erdogan’s stance on the Gaza war. After the terrorist attack on Israel that left more than 1,400 dead, Erdogan described the Islamist Hamas as a “liberation organization.” The USA and the EU, which are allies of Turkey in NATO, classify it as a terrorist organization. “It is well known that the federal government has very different attitudes and classifications towards Hamas,” said the spokeswoman, referring to the conversation with Erdogan. The exchange is very important.
As a result of the Gaza war, Erdogan cut off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying: “Netanyahu is no longer any kind of interlocutor for us. We have deleted him, we have crossed him out.” In the past, the Turkish president had described Israel as a “terrorist state” because of its Palestinian policy and had repeatedly portrayed himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause. On Friday, at a commemoration of the anniversary of the death of the republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, he spoke of “fascism” in light of Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.
On the other hand, Turkey is an important partner for the federal government. Around three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, more than anywhere else outside of Turkey. There are also close economic relationships. German holidaymakers are the second largest group of tourists in Turkey after Russians.
The NATO partner also has an important bridging function for Germany and the EU in the Islamic world. The country also plays a central role in controlling immigration to Europe. According to the spokeswoman, the conversation between Scholz and Erdogan will also be about the EU-Turkey agreement on the accommodation of refugees in Turkey and questions that concern Germany and Turkey as allies in NATO.
FDP: Erdogan’s hate speech against Israel unbearable
Erdogan repeatedly clashes with his NATO allies. With regard to the Gaza war, he accused Western countries of hypocrisy and condemned Israel’s actions as a “crime against humanity.”
The federal government has so far held back from criticizing this. However, clear words came from individual coalition politicians. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai said: “Erdogan’s constant hate speech against Israel and his solidarity with the terrorist organization Hamas are unbearable. This must have consequences and must not be ignored by the federal government.”
In the past, relations between Germany and Turkey were often turbulent. In 2017, the imprisonment of German citizens severely strained relations between Berlin and Ankara. A low point was reached when Erdogan personally attacked then-Chancellor Merkel with Nazi comparisons.
Regarding the question of whether Erdogan might watch the men’s international soccer match between Germany and Turkey planned for Saturday evening (November 18) in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, Hoffmann said she could only say something about the Chancellor’s appointments. When asked whether Scholz would attend the game with him, she said, “No, (…) if you read something about it somewhere, then that’s a nonsense. That was never planned.” It also remained unclear whether there would be a joint press conference between Scholz and Erdogan. The further program is still being coordinated, said the spokeswoman.