Germany’s Chancellor Merz Plans Turkey Visit to Discuss Increased Deportations, Ukraine, Middle East Peace

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is visiting Turkey for the first time since taking office, with a scheduled meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss key issues including the war in Ukraine, Middle East peace efforts, migration, and security cooperation. A primary focus is urging Turkey to accept more rejected asylum seekers as Germany ramps up deportations, with Turkish nationals constituting the largest group awaiting deportation. Germany has increased deportations in 2025 compared to the previous year, and the government aims to enhance cooperation on repatriation, including efforts to resume deportations to Syria amid improved security conditions. Despite this, Merz faces domestic pressure to raise human rights concerns, particularly regarding Turkey's crackdown on opposition figures, such as the detention of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu. Economic and defense cooperation, notably the delivery of Eurofighter jets to Turkey, also feature on the agenda. While talks will primarily be with Erdoğan, the visit may be overshadowed by political tensions linked to Turkey's internal opposition crackdown.