Erdogan Visits Germany Amid Tensions
In an attempt to mend ties with the European superpower, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan’s visit to Germany on September 30 met with a conflicted public response.
The president himself lauded the trip as successful, posting on his Twitter that he believed it would “strengthen from every angle the ancient Turko-German brotherhood.” He inaugurated a new mosque in Cologne and held talks with Angela Merkel on confronting racism and xenophobia in the country, as well as potential business investments and finding a solution to the Syrian crisis.
However, the public backlash has been formidable. Around a thousand German protestors, many of Turkish and Kurdish descent, gathered on the river bank opposing the mosque, prompting the city to cancel plans to open the mosque for public prayer during the ceremony.
The Turkish premier reportedly made the controversial four-finger salute of the Muslim Brotherhood upon arriving in the country before demanding the extradition of 69 Turkish fugitives in Germany, who have been temporarily given safe haven by the government. While the government has yet to respond to this demand, the German foreign minister ruled out the extradition of journalist Can Dündar and said that he hoped to see more of him in the future.
There has also been a negative reaction from the German political establishment after 200 politicians refused to attend a banquet held for Mr. Erdoğan. For her part, Chancellor Merkel’s tone was characterized by her measured disapproval, noting “deep seated-differences” between the countries.
The NATO allies have a long history of economic and political cooperation, with around 3 million ethnic Turks living in Germany since an agreement in the 1960s. However, relations began to deteriorate after the Turkish president accused Merkel’s government, along with several others in Europe, of engaging in “Nazi practices” during his 2017 referendum campaign.
European states have been concerned with the political climate in Turkey to say the least. The country currently has more journalists behind bars than any other. The state arrested nearly 50,000 people after a failed coup shook the country in a way that critics say was politicized to silence criticism. This led to a referendum in 2017 which abolished several checks and balances to the president’s power.
Observers say that the Turkish president’s attempt at a mending of ties during this visit was most likely motivated by the precarious state of his country’s economy. After U.S. sanctions were imposed due to an imprisoned American pastor and amid shaky business confidence due to the coup, the Turkish Lira lost over 40 percent of its value this year. Coupled with a current account deficit that is the fourth-largest in the world, it has thrown major Turkish firms into crisis; three major brands are currently restructuring debts with their creditors.
The German foreign minister has already ruled out financial assistance to the country. Whether or not Erdoğan will be able to fix ties and weather out the stormy economic conditions remains uncertain after this tumultuous visit.