An extremely sensitive diplomatic appointment: Erdogan is a guest in Berlin, and he has caused horror in advance with his attacks on Israel. Scholz tries to use a friendly tone. But there is initially no rapprochement.
Munich/Berlin – There have been warmer greetings than this. For photo ops, top politicians usually bring their facial features under control, and even the most difficult guests are welcomed with a certain objectivity, but as Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in front of Bellevue Palace on Friday afternoon (November 17th), this old rule appears to have been suspended. Both he and Frank-Walter Steinmeier look serious. The Federal President seems downright affected in some moments.
It was clear from the start that this would be a delicate visit. It has rarely been easy with Erdogan, but against the background of the war in Israel and the Gaza Strip and the president’s critical stance towards Israel, the mood is particularly charged. Erdogan’s attacks on Israel (“terrorist state”, “genocide”) and his understanding of Hamas (“liberation organization”) have caused horror. Quite a few observers found the fact that Erdogan arrived at all and was not unloaded again to be an imposition.
Erdogan does not criticize Hamas in Germany
In advance, Olaf Scholz pointed out that he would present his position “very clearly”. The Chancellor then implements his plan. His tone is friendly, but his substance is unequivocal. Scholz emphasizes Israel’s right to self-defense and says: “Anyone who knows Germany knows that our solidarity is beyond question.”
How fundamentally different the positions are becomes more than clear in this short press appearance. While Erdogan compares Hamas’ attacks to the number of dead civilians in the Gaza Strip (“13,000 women, children, babies”), the Israeli hostages to Palestinian prisoners in Israel and the terrorist organization’s firepower against the Israeli military’s arsenal (” Can you even compare that?”), for Scholz, any relativization is out of the question. “Gaza is the hostage of Hamas,” he emphasizes.
Erdogan is only in Berlin for a few hours. Even before dinner is served in the Chancellery, the two of them face the press. The fact that this public appearance exists is more than just a side note in the protocol. Recently, during the visit of the Chinese Prime Minister, questions from media representatives were expressly not welcome at the joint press meeting.
So Erdogan is now a little more open-minded than the Chinese, but that should not be confused with rapprochement. He did not criticize Hamas on this occasion either. His speech is almost twice as long as Scholz’s, his catalog of topics is extensive, his views are uncompromising, his demands are clear. He even brings the topic of joining the EU on the table. We’ve been standing at the door waiting for 52 years now,
Scholz and Steinmeier emphasize solidarity with Israel in front of Erdogan
None of this sounds harmonious. The Federal President had already made it clear in the afternoon. Steinmeier addressed the Middle East issue “vigorously,” the Federal President’s office later said. He “underlined the classification of Hamas’ attack on Israel as a terrorist attack and Hamas as a terrorist organization,” including Israel’s right to self-defense. The fact that all of this is made so explicit gives an idea of how little understanding Erdogan may have had.
Even the chairman of the Turkish community in Germany, Gökay Sofuoglu, distanced himself from his president and his criticism of Israel hours before Erdogan’s arrival, albeit rather cautiously. “These slogans through the media do not help people,” says Sofuoglu BR. Nevertheless, it is important to continue the conversation and rely on diplomacy.
Despite all the differences, this is similar in Berlin. This evening is also about Ukraine, a new grain deal and Sweden’s accession to NATO. Turkey also wants to purchase 40 Eurofighters and needs Berlin’s approval. Lots of topics that are about togetherness. At the end of this exciting press appearance, Scholz promptly draws an astonishing conclusion: “As you can see, we are in good discussions.”
#Erdogan #Berlin #short #visit #compromises