Plain speaking and cooperation: Scholz's balancing act with Erdogan

Plain speaking and cooperation: Scholz's balancing act with Erdogan

One thing is pretty certain when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appear before the press together today: If Erdogan continues his verbal attacks against Israel on the open stage in the Berlin Chancellery, Scholz will not remain silent.

He did so once when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of a 50-fold holocaust against the Palestinians during a visit to Berlin. The indignant reaction to this did not follow immediately on the spot, but only later in the "Bild" newspaper: the statements were "intolerable and unacceptable", it said after some delay.

This will probably not happen to Scholz again. He should be well prepared for repeated or new attacks by Erdogan against Israel when he receives him for dinner in the Chancellery. A "press meeting" is planned before the talks - the only time during the visit when both will speak publicly.

Erdogan calls Israel a "terrorist state"

Although Erdogan had condemned the murder of several hundred Israeli civilians in the terrorist attack on 7 October, he later described Hamas, which was responsible for the attack, as a "liberation organization". In contrast, the Turkish president described Israel as a "terrorist state" and even questioned its right to exist. He said at the end of last week that Israel was trying to "build a state whose history goes back only 75 years and whose legitimacy is called into question by its own fascism".

The German view is exactly the opposite. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization here and Israel's security is a German reason of state. Scholz has therefore also rejected Erdogan's verbal attacks as "absurd". However, he does not want to obstruct the channel of communication with Turkey as a result. There are many topics to discuss with Erdogan, he says again and again. But what exactly is there to get from the Turkish president?

Turkey as a mediator in the Middle East conflict

German citizens are among the more than 200 Hamas hostages in the Gaza Strip. The German government has been trying for weeks to use all diplomatic channels to get them released. Turkey, with its relations to Hamas, could act as a mediator.

So far, however, Qatar has played a far greater role in this regard. In the future, however, Turkey could play a role as a bridge state between the West and the Islamic world in the search for a political solution to the Middle East conflict. Like Germany, it is in favor of the peaceful coexistence of an Israeli and a Palestinian state.

Refugee pact between the EU and Turkey

Scholz has just received a mandate from the prime ministers of the 16 German states to work towards reviving the refugee pact concluded between the EU and Turkey in 2016. Under the pact, Turkey had committed to stopping smuggling activities at its border and taking back migrants who illegally cross the Turkish border to reach the Greek islands.

In return, Ankara received billions in aid from the EU, including for the accommodation of refugees. However, Turkey has not taken back any migrants from Greece since 2020 - the reason given at the time was the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

NATO member with good contacts to Russia

As a NATO member with good contacts to Russia, Turkey can also be helpful in the Ukraine conflict. Ankara played a key role in agreeing the so-called grain deal. Although Russia allowed the agreement to expire in July, millions of tons of Ukrainian grain could be exported via the Black Sea until then. Turkey is campaigning for a new edition of the agreement.

Government and Union agree: visit is right

Because of all of these points, the coalition government and the CDU/CSU are largely in agreement that Erdogan's visit to Berlin is the right thing to do. However, there are also critics who see things differently.

Those who condemn Hamas must also draw consequences for dealing with those who support this Islamist organization, says the exiled Turkish journalist Can Dündar. In Germany, demonstrations in support of Hamas are banned. "But at the same time, they invite a Hamas supporter and roll out the red carpet for him. That's weird, a kind of double standard."

1. The Federal Government, led by Olaf Scholz, faces a delicate situation when interacting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan due to Erdogan's criticism of Israel and classifying Hamas as a "liberation organization."
2. As part of the "traffic light government," Scholz is expected to maintain communication with Turkey, despite Erdogan's controversial views, as Turkey could potentially act as a mediator in the Middle East conflict.
3. The Head of state, Erdogan, has previously accused Israel of being a "terrorist state" and questioned its legitimacy, which contradicts the German view, which classifies Hamas as a terrorist organization and supports Israel's security.
4. In light of Turkey's roles in the Middle East conflict and as a NATO member with good contacts with Russia, the visit of President Erdogan to Berlin is viewed as important by both the coalition government and the CDU/CSU, despite criticisms of a perceived double standard regarding support for Hamas.

Source: www.dpa.com