Germany elections: Friedrich Merz aims for closer ties with Türkiye, says aide

Leading German chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz will pursue stronger cooperation with Türkiye if his center-right Christian Democrats win the upcoming elections, according to a senior party official.

Strengthening economic and political cooperation

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Jurgen Hardt, a senior conservative lawmaker, emphasized that Germany and Türkiye should collaborate more closely on key issues, including the economy, migration and regional conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and Syria.

Hardt highlighted migration management as a priority, stating that the incoming German government would take measures to limit mass migration, expedite rejected asylum seeker returns, and enhance domestic security.

“We see a situation in Germany where we are overwhelmed by the numbers of refugees, and the state structures are not able to handle it properly,” he said, adding: “We need to take a break. This is short-term action.”

He added that addressing migration in the medium and long term requires deeper cooperation with both origin and transit countries to tackle the root causes, such as poverty, conflict, and political instability.

Revamping the 2016 EU-Türkiye migration deal

Hardt praised Türkiye’s role in managing migration under the 2016 EU-Türkiye agreement, a policy initiated under former Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“We appreciate very much the work Türkiye is doing on that side on the basis of the Türkiye-EU agreement from 2016,” he said.

“Merz will continue that and find new and better ways to make it more stable and more win-win for all sides,” he added.

The 2016 agreement significantly reduced irregular migration into Europe by limiting crossings through the Aegean Sea. However, Türkiye has repeatedly criticized the EU for bureaucratic delays in delivering promised financial support for refugees.

Türkiye’s role in regional stability

Hardt, who also serves as the Christian Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson, stressed Türkiye’s strategic importance in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis and ensuring regional stability.

“The Syrian question, which is the main country where refugees came to Germany, besides Ukraine, cannot be solved without Türkiye. Türkiye has a main role here,” he said.

Hardt also praised Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, particularly its role in facilitating negotiations and the grain export deal.

“We sometimes question some dialogue from Erdogan with others around the world, including Putin, but looking at the facts, I see that Türkiye is a strong supporter of a free Ukraine,” he said.

“Türkiye helped us a lot to find this deal on Ukraine’s grain exports and also in negotiations on issues like the exchange of war prisoners,” he added.

Friedrich Merz’s foreign policy vision

The Christian Democrats, led by Merz, hold a strong lead in recent polls ahead of the Feb. 23 elections. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) currently lag behind, alongside their coalition partners, the Greens.

If elected, Merz is expected to adopt a more strategic foreign policy, prioritizing stronger partnerships with key allies like Türkiye.

“Merz, generally speaking, is more a strategic guy on foreign security issues,” Hardt said, contrasting him with incumbent Chancellor Scholz.

“I’m sure that Türkiye will appreciate a stronger German role in Europe because it’s also good for German and EU relations with Türkiye.”