Turkish President Erdogan arrived in the German capital for half a day this Friday, November 17th, in the early afternoon. The focus of his meetings with the German President and then with the Chancellor was obviously the situation in the Middle East. The Turkish president’s attacks against Israel sparked an outcry in Germany against the visit. During a joint press conference two hours ago, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Olaf Scholz presented their different points of view and discussed some other topics.
Published on: November 17, 2023 – 8:39 p.m
2 minutes
With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut
“It’s no secret that we have different, sometimes very different, points of view”: Olaf Scholz emphasized that a compromise with his host in the current conflict is out of the question. However, an outbreak was avoided because the Turkish president did not repeat his recent statements in which he described Israel as a terrorist state and which Olaf Scholz had described as “absurd”.
The German Chancellor reiterated that Israel’s existence cannot be questioned and that the Jewish state has the right to defend itself after the October 7 attacks. “For us, Israel’s right to exist is irrefutable. Israel has the right to defend itself. Therefore, it is not possible that the threat of Hamas attacks remains. » However, Olaf Scholz emphasized the importance of humanitarian breaks for the benefit of the civilian population and recalled that his country had increased its aid.
Erdogan denounces massive destruction in Gaza
Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the massive destruction in the Gaza Strip and the thousands of Palestinian deaths. “Places of worship are affected, churches are affected, hospitals are affected. But shooting at hospitals, killing children… These things aren’t in the Torah, we can’t do that. It’s not in the Declaration of Human Rights, we can’t do it. »
However, the two officials agree that an escalation of violence in the region must be prevented. Both advocated a long-term two-state solution.
Turkey remains an important regional player as other questions remain, such as improving the Turkey-Europe deal against illegal immigration or Ankara’s interest in Eurofighter fighter jets, which require German approval.
Also listen: Erdogan’s tense visit to Berlin: “Germany and Turkey need each other”