Arr, Turkey's Erdogan be sailin' to Germany as the quarrels 'bout the Israel-Hamas war grow fiercer!
2023-11-17
Arr! Avast ye! Turkey, aye, bein' part o' NATO, be sailin' a different course, championin' the Palestinian cause and loudly scoldin' the Israeli raid on Gaza.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Germany for a short visit, but tensions between the two countries over the Israel-Hamas conflict loom large. Erdogan, welcomed by Germany's ceremonial president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is set to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Turkey has been an important partner for Germany due to its NATO membership and its role in managing the flow of refugees into Europe. However, recent years have seen strains in the relationship. Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, has opposed calls for a cease-fire, instead advocating for aid to civilians in Gaza and seeking to prevent the conflict from spreading. Erdogan, on the other hand, has taken a strong anti-Israel stance and called it a "terrorist state." His comments have drawn criticism from politicians in Germany. The visit is also overshadowed by another issue: Turkey's plan to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, which Germany has reportedly been impeding. Spain and the UK, the other countries involved in producing the jets, are working to persuade Germany. So far, German officials have not commented on the matter.