On October 30, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz paid an official visit to Ankara, meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The talks underscored both countries’ shared strategic priorities within NATO but also revealed clear differences over democracy standards and the ongoing Israel–Gaza conflict.
Merz’s visit featured ceremonial pageantry, including a welcoming guard in historic Turkic state uniforms. After discussions with Erdoğan, the German leader posted in both Turkish and German on his official X account. In Turkish, he stressed the main theme of his trip: *“Germany and Turkey are close partners in NATO: Turkey is an important factor in almost all foreign and security policy issues that concern us. Today we are also discussing this strategic cooperation.”
In German, Merz addressed his domestic audience, reiterating that Turkey has yet to meet European Union membership requirements — particularly the rule of law and democracy benchmarks known as the Copenhagen Criteria — while noting that dialogue remains ongoing. He thanked Erdoğan for his role in Middle East peace efforts and expressed hope that Ankara might help persuade Hamas to move towards a second phase of negotiations. As Murat Yetkin wrote in YetkinReport, Merz’s core message was simple: principles such as democratic governance remain important, but they do not outweigh Germany’s strategic need for close cooperation with Turkey.
Democracy became a sharper point of contention during the joint press conference in Ankara. After a German journalist raised opposition figure Ekrem İmamoğlu, Merz restated concerns about democratic standards. Erdoğan, visibly irked, replied: “Whatever position you hold, if you trample on the law, in a judicial state, judicial authorities must do whatever is necessary,” pointedly using “judicial state” rather than “rule of law.”
Tensions rose further when Merz affirmed Germany’s support for Israel’s right to self-defence in Gaza. Erdoğan questioned whether Berlin recognised what he called Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza. While avoiding a direct claim that Germany supplied weapons to Israel, he noted the bombing of Gaza just the day before. Merz responded by pointing out Germany’s recent suspension of certain arms exports in light of the escalating situation, opting not to prolong the exchange.
The meeting reflects a broader trend in Western capitals: security and economic imperatives are increasingly outweighing concerns over human rights and democratic governance. A similar dynamic was visible earlier in the week, when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Ankara to sign a Eurofighter deal despite persistent criticism of Turkey’s domestic political climate.
As Yetkin observes, democracy now seems to be “out” while security is “in” — especially for a West confronting war in Ukraine, Middle East instability, and the rise of far-right movements at home. For Europe and the United States, engagement with Turkey appears driven less by political ideals than by urgent strategic needs. Whether this shift reflects pragmatism or hypocrisy, Turkey’s ties with its NATO allies look set to deepen despite major differences.
Photo: Gemini AI