German Chancellor Merz travels to Ankara to meet Turkey’s Erdoğan
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz heads to Turkey on Wednesday for his inaugural visit, where he is scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday.
The talks in Ankara are expected to focus on the war in Ukraine and peace efforts in the Middle East, with Turkey playing a mediating role in both conflicts.
Other key issues on the agenda are likely to include migration and defence cooperation. Turkey could play a role in facilitating the deportation of Syrians who have no legal right to remain in Germany.
In the defence sector, an important signal was sent on Monday with the signing of an agreement for the delivery of Eurofighter jets to Turkey.
The jets are assembled in Britain as part of a multinational consortium involving Germany, Italy and Spain, meaning all four countries must approve any export deal.
The visit could, however, be overshadowed by a new arrest warrant for Turkish opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been in custody since March.
At the time, Social Democratic leader Lars Klingbeil described the detention as a “serious attack” on Turkey’s democracy.
When asked whether Merz would also meet opposition politicians during his visit, a government spokesman said on Monday that the talks with Erdoğan would take centre stage: “I am not aware of any further meetings.”
