German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Istanbul on October 19 to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the escalating Middle East crisis and the migration issue.
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| Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a meeting in Istanbul, October 19. (Source: France2) |
Germany is a strong supporter of Israel and has defended the Jewish state’s right to self-defense. Olaf Scholz hopes the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will pave the way for a ceasefire. Sinwar is considered the “architect” of the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the conflict in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan has been a fierce critic of Israel's Gaza campaign, blaming Western countries for supporting Israel, which he calls a "terrorist state."
Erdogan has built close ties with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with Hamas officials in Istanbul on October 18 and expressed “condolences” over Sinwar’s death. The two sides also discussed “the recent situation in negotiations on a ceasefire agreement that would allow for the exchange of hostages and prisoners,” the foreign ministry said.
Migration is also high on the agenda of talks between Mr Scholz and President Erdogan. Prime Minister Olaf Scholz’s government has come under increasing pressure on the issue following a series of violent incidents and extremist attacks by asylum seekers.
Türkiye's relationship with Germany - home to Europe's largest Turkish diaspora community of around 3 million people - is sensitive. Berlin has voiced concerns about the human rights and democracy situation under Erdogan, especially after the failed coup in 2016.
In addition to the above issues, Türkiye also expects progress on its plan to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft manufactured by a four-nation industrial consortium, including Germany.
In another development, on October 19, German federal prosecutors announced that the country's police had arrested a Libyan man suspected of being a member of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization and planning to attack the Israeli Embassy in Berlin.
"There are some indications that the suspect planned to attack the Israeli embassy in Berlin," a prosecutor's office spokesman said, pointing out that the suspect was also believed to have links to IS.
Bild newspaper reported that special police forces raided an apartment in Bernau, north of Berlin, on the evening of October 19 and arrested the 28-year-old man. The newspaper said German authorities acted on information from a foreign intelligence agency.
In a message on social network X, Israeli Ambassador to Berlin Ron Prosor thanked German authorities for "ensuring the security of our Embassy".
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/duc-pha-am-muu-tan-cong-dai-su-quan-israel-thao-luan-voi-tho-nhi-ky-ve-khung-hoang-trung-dong-290725.html
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