Tuesday

5th Dec 2023

Merkel in Turkey to salvage migrant deal

  • Merkel (l) on her most recent trip to Turkey last month to visit refugee camps (Photo: The European Union.)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will not shy away from controversial issues when she meets Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan later, amid criticism the German leader has made too many concessions to save the EU-Turkey migration deal.

Ahead of a two-day trip to Istanbul to attend a UN refugee summit with 50 other representatives and heads of state, Merkel rejected accusations in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that the EU has become too dependent on Turkey because of the migration deal.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

“Of course there are mutual dependencies, which you could also call a necessity to reconcile interests,” Merkel said.

Merkel has championed the deal that allows Greece to send back migrants to Turkey, despite concerns over Turkey's rights record and treatment of refugees.

Erdogan has used the deal to shore up his power at home, and used it as a bargaining chip with Europe. He has threatened to scrap the deal if Turkey does not get visa liberalisation from the EU.

On her fifth visit to Turkey in eight months, Merkel is trying to strike a balance between protecting the deal and avoiding being seen as accommodating too much to Erdogan’s whims.

In the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung interview, the German chancellor criticised the Turkish parliament’s vote on Friday to deprive almost all of the MPs from the main pro-Kurdish of their legal immunity.

The move paves the way for Turkey to put many of its leading Kurdish politicians on trial.

“We want that the Kurdish people have their equal place and a good future in Turkey,” Merkel said, adding she would raise “all the important questions” with Erdogan.

She also criticised the breakdown of talks between the government and the Kurdish community last year.

Pushing Turkey's membership bid

Merkel also remains under pressure at home because of the deal.

She was criticised last month for allowing the prosecution of a German comedian who made fun of Erdogan after a complaint from the Turkish leader.

Horst Seehofer, leader of the CSU, the sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democrats, said Sunday that the pact had “mixed up things that have nothing to do with each other” by linking the refugee issue with Turkey’s bid to join the EU and visa-free travel.

“One should never allow oneself to be blackmailed,” Seehofer said.

In the interview, Merkel stood by the deal, saying: “I am convinced that it’s in German, European and Turkish interests, and especially in the interests of those who are fleeing war and persecution.”

She added she is irritated by what seems like some people almost looking forward to the deal failing.

The visit comes as one of Erdogan’s closest allies, Binali Yildirim, was officialy appointed prime minister on Sunday after he was elected chairman of the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP).

In his first speech Yildirim said the time has come for the EU to be clear about Turkey’s membership process.

“The time has come to know what they think about Turkey,” he said.

Juncker warns Turkey over visas

Turkey will have to reform its anti-terrorism laws or the planned visa-free deal with the EU will fall apart.

EP stops work on Turkey visa waiver

The EU parliament has stopped all work on the commission's plan to lift visas for Turkish nationals. The move could spell the end of the EU-Turkey migrant deal.

Merkel faces backlash after killings

The German chancellor faces mounting criticism at home for her refugee policy after asylum seekers carried out several attacks over the last week.

Latest News

  1. Orbán's Ukraine-veto threat escalates ahead of EU summit
  2. Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?
  3. Protecting workers' rights throughout the AI revolution
  4. Russia, the West, and the geopolitical 'touch-move rule'
  5. Afghanistan is a 'forever emergency,' says UN head
  6. EU public procurement reform 'ineffective', find auditors
  7. COP28 warned over-relying on carbon capture costs €27 trillion
  8. Optimising Alzheimer's disease health care pathways across Europe

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us