German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Istanbul, at the Dolmabahçe Palace. Following their meeting, Scholz referred to the ongoing discussions regarding Turkey’s acquisition of Eurofighter jets as a “work in progress.”
According to Anadolu, Berlin has approved weapons sales to Turkey and is “committed to more.”
The bilateral talks also covered developments in the Middle East, with Scholz reiterating calls for a ceasefire and de-escalation. While affirming Israel’s right to self-defense, he emphasized that it “must comply with international law.”
Scholz also warned against the rise of far-right extremism, stating that no form of inhumane exclusion, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, should be tolerated.
Erdoğan, on his part, stressed Turkey’s desire to enhance cooperation and overcome past difficulties with its NATO ally Germany concerning defense industry products. He stated that Turkey and Germany are committed to combating terrorist groups, particularly the PKK and FETO, which threaten public security in both countries.
Additionally, Erdoğan criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of having an “expansionist mentality” and not focusing on keeping the war within “certain limits.”
In an earlier analysis, DW noted that while Scholz would likely press Erdoğan for greater cooperation on migration, the Turkish president would try to persuade the German chancellor to lift Berlin’s reservations on arms exports to Turkey.
