Human Rights Watch urged Friedrich Merz to condemn Turkey’s crackdown on opposition figures, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Europe to build a stronger strategic partnership with Turkey to face new global challenges.
He spoke during his first official visit to Ankara, where Turkey has acted as a key mediator in the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts.
Merz appeared with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan only days after Turkey and the United Kingdom completed a multibillion-euro deal for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
Germany, a member of the aircraft’s manufacturing consortium, had recently ended its long opposition to exporting the jets to Turkey.
Reports indicated German support for Turkey’s inclusion in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE), a €150 billion defence programme to strengthen Europe’s military power.
SAFE allows non-EU nations such as Turkey to join shared defence projects. Greece strongly objects, insisting Turkey first withdraw its threat of war tied to sea border disputes between the two NATO allies.
Merz did not refer directly to SAFE but emphasised partnership.
“Germany and Turkey should make better use of the vast potential in our relations in the coming years,” he said.
He added, “We are entering a new geopolitical era shaped by great power politics. Europeans must expand strategic alliances, and Turkey is vital to that effort.”
Disagreements on Rights and Democracy
Tensions surfaced over human rights and Gaza. Human Rights Watch again pressed Merz to condemn Turkey’s repression of opponents and İmamoğlu’s arrest.
Authorities have held the opposition leader, viewed as Erdoğan’s main rival, since March on corruption charges he rejects. This week, prosecutors accused him of espionage.
Merz avoided mentioning İmamoğlu directly but stated, “Some Turkish decisions still fall short of Europe’s democratic and rule-of-law standards.”
Erdoğan defended his courts, saying, “In a state ruled by law, any person who violates it faces the necessary legal consequences.”
Sharp Divide on Gaza
Merz reaffirmed Germany’s historic commitment to Israel after the Holocaust but clarified, “We do not accept every decision of any Israeli government without criticism.”
He repeated his recent criticism of Israel’s Gaza operations and said, “Israel acted in self-defence, but Hamas could have ended the war by freeing hostages and laying down weapons.”
Erdoğan again condemned Israel’s actions, accusing it of using “starvation and genocide” as war tactics.
He claimed Hamas lacks bombs and nuclear weapons while Israel holds both, then questioned Germany’s silence: “Can’t you see this?”
