German politicians from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party have sharply criticized the recent visit by CDU leader Friedrich Merz to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, questioning the efficacy and ethical implications of prioritizing strategic partnership over human rights concerns. The visit, ostensibly aimed at strengthening ties and exploring renewed avenues for Turkey’s EU accession, has drawn condemnation for its perceived silence on Ankara’s deteriorating democratic record.
Serdar Yüksel, head of the German-Turkish parliamentary group and an SPD politician, voiced his concern to “Focus” magazine, arguing that any discussion of a European perspective for Turkey must be coupled with a candid assessment of the country’s human rights situation. He specifically lamented Merz’s failure to address issues such as political prisoners, limitations on press freedom and the treatment of opposition figures like Ekrem İmamoğlu. “Europe is more than merely a security or economic project” Yüksel stated, emphasizing the need to defend European values even when engaging with challenging partners. He asserted that democratic forces within Turkey were expecting a clear and unwavering stance from Germany and Europe, not a transactional relationship devoid of substantive moral considerations.
The Green Party’s human rights spokesperson, Max Lucks, echoed this sentiment, suggesting Merz either displayed a willful ignorance of the realities on the ground or consciously adopted a strategy of self-censorship. Lucks, also a deputy head of the German-Turkish parliamentary group, accused Merz of neglecting President Erdoğan’s long-standing use of a politicized judiciary to target the democratic opposition. He further pointed to the omission of any mention of Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been detained since 2016, despite repeated calls for his release from the European Court of Human Rights – a demand ignored by Turkey and, according to Lucks, now disregarded by the German government. This, he argues, reveals a lack of genuine interest in supporting democratic opposition within Turkey.
During a joint press conference with Erdoğan in Ankara, Merz pledged further steps toward Turkey’s EU accession and promised to advocate for a strategic dialogue at the European level. He stated that he had addressed the independence of the judiciary in a private conversation with Erdoğan. However, critics argue that such assurances ring hollow without a more robust and public challenge to the systematic erosion of democratic norms and human rights under Erdoğan’s rule, risking, in essence, rewarding autocratic tendencies within the accession process. The incident raises a broader debate within Germany and across Europe regarding the appropriate balance between strategic interests and the upholding of fundamental values in international relations.