The German Chancellor is in Istanbul Olaf Solzwho will meet at approximately 1:30 pm with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
After the meeting between the two leaders, at the Dolmabahçe palaces, joint statements and a press conference will follow, at 3:30 pm.
On the agenda of the talks are armaments, immigration, the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
The fighters
Among the issues to which the Turkish side gives greater weight is the issue of purchasing 5th generation Eurofighter combat aircraft. Reports in the Turkish press previously reported that Germany had given the “green light” to Turkey’s purchase of European fighter jets, but noted that Berlin is conducting negotiations with Turkey, setting conditions for “combat aircraft use zones.” Consultations between the two countries appear to have acquired a more serious character after the Turkish president’s meeting Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the German Chancellor in New York last month.
The remaining members of the Eurofighter consortium, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, approve the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighters to Türkiye, but this sale is “trapped” by Germany’s refusal. Turkey is interested in purchasing at least 20 Eurofighters in the first phase, worth 5.6 billion dollars, but in total it plans to acquire 40 5th generation European fighters.
Weapons for the Navy
Berlin is also said to have approved arms sales worth €336 million, mainly to the Turkish Navy. A report states that among the weapons systems approved for export are 100 guided missiles produced by the company MBDA and 28 SeaHake-type torpedoes from the company ThyssenKrupp for the Turkish Navy. The price of missiles amounts to around 100 million euros, while the price of torpedoes amounts to 156 million euros. The report also notes that joint ventures involving German industries have been given permission to supply defense hardware packages for the modernization of Türkiye’s Type 209 submarines.
The relevant budget amounts to 79 million euros. Furthermore, the German government will deliver engine parts for Turkish corvettes and frigates, worth 1.9 million euros. The program to build six Type 214 submarines for the Turkish Navy in co-production with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp is already underway.
The prevention of irregular migration and arms exports are among the most critical issues that will also be discussed between the two leaders within the framework of bilateral relations.
The German government wants Turkey, which is a transit country, to strengthen measures to prevent irregular immigration and speed up the process of returning to Turkey those whose asylum applications are not accepted in Germany.
By the end of August this year, a total of 21,590 Turkish citizens had requested asylum in Germany. Turks rank third in asylum applications, after Syrians and Afghans. Information from recent days indicated that Berlin is preparing to deport up to 14,500 Turkish citizens who are in Germany illegally. In return, Germany reportedly promised to speed up visa procedures for Turkish citizens.
Source: RES-MPE