Germany's Scholz to discuss defence, migration during high-stakes visit to Turkiye

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday, with key topics of defence cooperation and migration set to dominate the talks.

Scholz, ahead of his second visit to Turkiye since March 2022, stressed the importance of migration, stating, “The issue of migration is, of course, always one of them,” as both leaders aim to address ongoing challenges in managing refugee flows into Europe. 

The 2016 EU-Turkiye migration agreement, which curbed irregular crossings through the Aegean Sea, will be a key focus. 

Scholz reaffirmed Germany’s support for this deal, but Ankara has long criticised European partners for failing to meet their commitments, including visa-free travel and the acceleration of Turkiye’s EU accession process.

On the defence front, the proposed sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkiye will be a central topic. Eurofighter jets are co-produced by the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and Scholz noted that negotiations are in the early stages. 

“Of course, we always discuss the supply of weapons to our NATO partner,” he added, highlighting ongoing talks between the UK and Turkiye on the potential deal.

The visit also comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly following Israel's brutal assault on Gaza. Relations between Turkiye and Germany have been strained by Germany’s arms sales to Israel, with Erdogan condemning Israel’s actions and likening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. 

Though Scholz’s visit was planned before recent escalations, the situation in Palestine and Lebanon is expected to be discussed during the meeting.

Germany, home to Europe’s largest Turkish diaspora, will be looking to balance its defence commitments with Turkiye while navigating the complexities of migration and regional conflict.