Erdoğan questions Germany’s silence on Israel’s Gaza attacks

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and called on Germany to join efforts to end the humanitarian crisis during a joint press conference on Thursday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ankara.

Merz, who formed Germany’s new coalition government in May, is on his inaugural visit to the Turkish capital.

Erdoğan said the Palestinian group Hamas “has neither bombs nor nuclear weapons, but Israel does,” adding that Israel used them to strike Gaza yesterday. “Germany, don’t you see this?” he asked.

The Turkish leader said he conveyed Ankara’s views to Merz on preventing renewed atrocities in Gaza and stressed support for a two-state solution as a path to lasting peace.

“Just as we want the Russia-Ukraine war to end, we also support an end to Israel's war on Gaza,” Erdoğan said. “Türkiye and Germany are two key countries that can join hands to achieve this.”

He further condemned Israel’s ongoing assaults on Gaza, saying it has “always sought to subdue (the territory) through starvation and what amounts to genocide, and this continues to this day.”

"We need to end the genocide and the deliberate starvation (in Gaza) by involving Germany’s Red Cross and our own Turkish Red Crescent,” he added.

Europe to boost defense cooperation

Erdoğan said Ankara could make rapid progress toward full EU membership if the bloc recognizes the country’s shown determination.

If Türkiye is assessed by Copenhagen Criteria, Ankara has its own "Ankara Criteria," which guide its engagement with Europe and world, he added.

During the meeting with Merz, Erdoğan said he underlined the importance Türkiye attaches to "combating rising racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia in Europe."

Erdoğan also said he reaffirmed that the Turkish community in Germany is "our shared value and richness."

On Syria, Erdoğan said: "We recognize the importance Germany places on working in close coordination with us on Syria."

Noting the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and diplomatic efforts to end it, Erdoğan said that Türkiye has regarded continued diplomatic efforts as important for fair and lasting resolution of the conflict.

'Germany wants to see Türkiye in EU'

Merz said that Berlin desires to see Ankara in the EU, noting Türkiye's role in foreign policy.

“Türkiye is a very important actor in all foreign policy and security matters that concern us," Merz said.

He vowed that Germany will pursue closer cooperation with Türkiye on security policy.