عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Türkiye Erdogan to Visit Germany as Differences over the Israel-Hamas War Widen

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Türkiye, March 14, 2022. Guido Bergmann/BPA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Türkiye, March 14, 2022. Guido Bergmann/BPA/Handout via REUTERS
TT
20
TT

Türkiye Erdogan to Visit Germany as Differences over the Israel-Hamas War Widen

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Türkiye, March 14, 2022. Guido Bergmann/BPA/Handout via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Türkiye, March 14, 2022. Guido Bergmann/BPA/Handout via REUTERS

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected in Berlin on Friday on a short visit to Germany as the two countries' stances on the war between Israel and Hamas are poles apart.
Erdogan is due to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Germany's largely ceremonial president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Scholz invited Erdogan to visit in May following his re-election, said The Associated Press.
Türkiye is viewed as an awkward but essential partner in Germany, which is home to more than 3 million people with Turkish roots. It's a NATO ally that also is important in efforts to control the flow of refugees and migrants to Europe, but there have been tensions in recent years over a variety of issues.
This visit is overshadowed by a growing chasm between the two countries' stance on events following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Germany is a staunch ally of Israel and has opposed calls for a cease-fire, while pushing for aid to civilians in Gaza, advocating “humanitarian pauses” and seeking to keep open channels of communication with other countries in the region to prevent the conflict from spreading.
Erdogan has taken an increasingly strident stance against Israel. On Wednesday, he called it a “terrorist state” intent on destroying Gaza along with all of its residents. He described Hamas militants as “resistance fighters” trying to protect their lands and people. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and European Union.
Those and similar comments have appalled politicians across the spectrum in Germany. Asked earlier this week about Erdogan's comments, Scholz didn't mention the Turkish leader by name but said “the accusations that are being made there against Israel are absurd.”
On Wednesday, Scholz told parliament that his talks with Erdogan will include a discussion of “differing views — in this question, it is very important that there is clarity and that we make our own position very clear.”
Israel recalled its diplomats from Türkiye last month after Erdogan accused Israel of committing war crimes. Türkiye later also recalled its ambassador from Israel.

Most Viewed

 
World

Iran: We Will Not Retreat from Our Principles in Nuclear Talks

President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, visit an exhibition of Iran’s nuclear industry achievements, last April (Iranian Presidency)
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, visit an exhibition of Iran’s nuclear industry achievements, last April (Iranian Presidency)
TT
20
TT

Iran: We Will Not Retreat from Our Principles in Nuclear Talks

President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, visit an exhibition of Iran’s nuclear industry achievements, last April (Iranian Presidency)
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, visit an exhibition of Iran’s nuclear industry achievements, last April (Iranian Presidency)

Iran on Tuesday said it is open to accepting temporary limits on its uranium enrichment but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged that his country will never retreat from its core principles in the nuclear talks.

“These negotiations will be fully aligned with the Supreme Leader’s guidance, which will light our path,” the president said in a meeting with members of the Iranian Parliament’s Independent Faction.

He added, “We have not tied the livelihood of our people to the outcome of these talks - nor will we ever do so. We will never retreat from our principles in these negotiations, but we do not seek tension either.”

Tehran and Washington held their fourth round of nuclear talks on Sunday in Doha, with no apparent breakthrough.

On Tuesday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi informed the National Security Committee that during indirect talks with the US, “uranium enrichment is a non-negotiable red line.”

“Uranium enrichment in Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is a red line for the country, alongside its defense and regional strength. Iran is not engaging in discussions regarding its enrichment principles,” Gharibabadi said, according to Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesman for the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission.

Rezaei said some lawmakers suggested Tehran should withdraw from the nuclear talks “until Iran's right to enrichment is publicly recognized, and sanctions and threats are stopped.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi again said Iran is open to accepting temporary limits on its uranium enrichment, without abandoning its nuclear program as requested by the US administration.

“For a limited period of time, we can accept a series of restrictions on the level and volume of enrichment,” said Takht-Ravanchi.

“We have not yet gone into details about the level and volume of enrichment,” he said, quoted by Tasnim news agency.

The Iranian official added that negotiations are still in the early stages, and no specific details about the limitations have been discussed yet.

“We have not reached the stage where we would determine a specific timeframe or enrichment percentage,” he said.

Takht-Ravanchi then argued that US behavior undermines trust. “American officials' threatening and non-threatening statements fail to build confidence and instead cast doubts and suspicions on Washington's position,” he noted.

On Monday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said the country’s offensive capabilities have expanded, and that Iran’s adversaries are now more vulnerable to retaliation than ever before.

In a closed-door session with Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Hajizadeh dismissed recent reports suggesting a decline in Iran’s defense strength as part of what he called a Western and Israeli media campaign aimed at undermining Iran’s image.