German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul, where the topics of asylum seekers and arms exports took center stage.
Speaking after the meeting, Scholz noted that it was a ‘matter of course’ for NATO partner Türkiye to purchase German weapons, even expressing openness to the supply of Eurofighter jets.
Britain leads Eurofighter negotiations
Scholz clarified that negotiations regarding the supply of Eurofighter jets to Türkiye are being led by the UK, and that discussions are still in the early stages.
“There are some projects that have just started. This is a project the British government is leading, and negotiations are now beginning,” Scholz said at a press conference with Erdoğan, responding to a question on the topic.
Ankara had announced last year its interest in purchasing Eurofighter jets, but progress has been slow, largely due to Berlin’s concerns over Türkiye’s stance on the Gaza conflict.
Germany increases arms deliveries to Türkiye
According to Der Spiegel, Berlin recently approved significant arms deliveries to Türkiye, including anti-aircraft missiles valued at several hundred million euros.
Ahead of Scholz’s second visit to Türkiye in his three years in office, reports surfaced that the German government had once again approved large-scale arms exports to Türkiye. Tagesspiegel reported that, by October 13 of this year, 69 export licenses worth €103 million had been issued. Among these were weapons valued at €840,000.
For the first time since 2011, the approved export value for Türkiye has returned to the hundreds of millions. In the last major approval, 28 torpedoes and 101 guided missiles were greenlit for export.
Regarding the Eurofighter jets, since they are to be co-produced with Germany, the German government must also approve their sale.
Scholz: Relations have ‘noticeably improved’
The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are produced by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo, with participation from Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain. Any of the four nations can veto the sale, though London is currently leading the negotiations.
Erdoğan expressed satisfaction with the renewed defense cooperation, stating that previous obstacles to defense procurement “should now be left behind.”
The meeting between Scholz and Erdoğan, attended by top officials and ministers from both countries, was described by Scholz as a ‘visible sign’ of the improved quality of relations between Germany and Türkiye.
Migration: Low profile on concrete outcomes
When questioned about specific results on migration, both leaders kept a low profile, according to Tagesspiegel.
The German government is seeking to deport criminals not only to Afghanistan but also to Syria, and is exploring potential cooperation partners. Scholz reiterated his intention to deport “criminals” to Syria but avoided confirming whether Türkiye would assist in this effort.
As of September, 15,789 Turkish citizens were slated for deportation from Germany, an increase of 1,200 compared to five months earlier. During the first half of the year, 441 deportations were carried out.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser recently stated that Türkiye had agreed to accelerate the repatriation of Turkish citizens, although no concrete details have been announced.
Erdoğan on migration and economic ties
Erdoğan noted that trade between Türkiye and Germany had reached $50 billion, with hopes of increasing this figure to $60 billion.
On the topic of migration, Erdoğan highlighted that Türkiye currently hosts around 3.5 million Syrian refugees and that the country will continue to keep its doors open to them.
“We worked on this issue during [former Chancellor] Merkel’s time in office. Our door has always been open, and it remains so. When people from the Middle East or Lebanon came, we welcomed them. There are also Turkmen in Lebanon. Our door is open,” Erdoğan said.
Scholz thanked Erdoğan for Türkiye’s efforts in managing migration and assured that Germany would continue supporting Türkiye in handling the influx of Syrian refugees.
Disagreements on Gaza
The two leaders maintained differing views on the situation in Gaza. Erdoğan accused Israel of committing genocide, a claim Scholz firmly rejected.
“Germany does not believe that the accusation of genocide is justified,” Scholz stated, while emphasizing that Israel has the right to self-defense, provided it adheres to international law.
Scholz acknowledged their disagreement on the issue, remarking: “Even if we do not agree on everything, an intensive dialogue on international conflicts is important—it is the only way to find solutions.”
Calls for cooperation on Ukraine
Both leaders expressed a desire to collaborate on the Ukraine conflict, though their statements remained vague.
“We are both on the side of Ukraine,” Scholz said, adding that he would like to explore how Türkiye and Germany could cooperate on the matter.
In recent weeks, Scholz has intensified efforts to advocate for a new peace conference on Ukraine that would include Russia.
