ALBAWABA- In a display of Turkey’s growing diplomatic influence, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday, just two days after Britain signed a landmark £8 billion ($10.7 billion) agreement to sell 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey.
The talks, Merz’s first foreign visit since taking office following the CDU’s September election win, signaled Berlin’s intent to mend strained relations with its NATO ally, while balancing disagreements over the Middle East conflict.
Opening the meeting, both leaders stressed shared security priorities within NATO. Merz described the UK-Turkey defense deal as “a vital boost for alliance interoperability,” and expressed interest in greater German participation in joint defense ventures addressing threats from Russia and Iran.
He also reaffirmed Germany’s support for reviving Turkey’s long-stalled EU accession process, despite concerns over human rights and Ankara’s criticism of Europe’s Gaza policy.
President @RTErdogan welcomed Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, who is paying a visit to Türkiye, with an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex. pic.twitter.com/PPKAhJWwsZ
— Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (@trpresidency) October 30, 2025
“Turkey is a close partner to the EU; we must expand economic and defense ties,” Merz said during a joint press conference, suggesting possible access for Turkey to the EU’s SAFE defense fund.
Erdoğan, in turn, challenged Berlin’s position on the Gaza war, asking whether Germany “does not see the Israeli genocide in Gaza,” citing more than 68,000 Palestinian deaths since October 2023.
Still, he emphasized cooperation, proposing “concrete joint projects” in drones and missile systems, building on the momentum of the UK deal, symbolically marked by three RAF Typhoons escorting Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s delegation into Turkish airspace earlier this week.
