AP

Turkey’s Erdogan bids farewell to Merkel after 16 years

Oct 15, 2021, 7:09 PM | Updated: Oct 16, 2021, 7:24 am

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, is welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, is welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)


              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, flanked by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, waves to the media on the occasion of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, talks to journalists next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber vila, Erdogan's presidential resident, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, talks to journalists next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber vila, Erdogan's presidential resident, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talk to each other at Huber Villa presidential palace ahead of their meeting, in Istanbul, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. Merkel and Erdogan are expected to discuss Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. The chancellor's trip is one of her last before she leaves her position. (Turkish Presidency Pool via AP)
            
              Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks to each otherat Huber Villa presidential palace ahead of their meeting, in Istanbul, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. Merkel and Erdogan are expected to discuss Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. The chancellor's trip is one of her last before she leaves her position. (Turkish Presidency Pool via AP)
            
              Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for photos before their meeting, in Istanbul, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. Merkel and Erdogan are expected to discuss Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. The chancellor's trip is one of her last before she leaves her position. (Turkish Presidency Pool via AP)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, flanked by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, waves to the media on the occasion of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for the media at the end of a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber vila, Erdogan's presidential resident, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, front left, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, front right, arrive for a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber vila, Erdogan's presidential resident, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan listens to a question during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel following their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the end of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel talk to journalists during a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, looks at Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber vila, Erdogan's presidential resident, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan listens to German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber vila, Erdogan's presidential resident, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan listens to German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a joint news conference following their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel during their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. The leaders discussed Ankara's relationship with Germany and the European Union as well as regional issues including Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
            
              German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, is welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of their meeting at Huber Villa presidential palace, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

ISTANBUL (AP) — Angela Merkel’s final visit to Turkey as German chancellor on Saturday saw two of Europe’s longest serving leaders pay tribute to one another as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted her for farewell talks overlooking the Bosporus.

Erdogan had been in office for more than two years when Merkel came to power in 2005. Since then, they have built a relationship based on pragmatism that has weathered several crises.

“I hope that our successful work with Mrs. Merkel will continue in the same way under the new government,” Erdogan said at an Istanbul news conference.

The leaders discussed Turkey’s relations with Germany and the European Union, as well as Syria, Libya and the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara’s interests have collided with Europe’s.

However, Merkel has often adopted a conciliatory approach to Turkey, emphasizing the common interests of Turkey and the West.

After admitting hundreds of thousands of refugees to Germany in 2015, she stressed Turkey’s role in preventing a repeat of such large-scale migration to Europe and helped engineer a deal for Turkey to stem the flow of people seeking to cross the Aegean Sea.

The topic of migration dominated the leaders’ comments on Saturday. Merkel promised that EU support for Turkey, which hosts 4 million refugees, would continue and said the incoming administration in Berlin will value ties with Turkey. Germany’s political parties are holding talks on a new coalition government since an election in September, and Merkel is staying on in a caretaker role until that government is in place.

“We always have common interests, and that’s how the next federal government will see it,” she said.

Erdogan thanked his guest for her “positive contributions” in Turkey’s long-running bid for EU membership and her support for the 3 million-strong Turkish community in Germany.

Relations with Turkey proved one of the toughest areas for Merkel during her 16 years in office, especially as Erdogan ramped up attacks on European leaders while overseeing growing authoritarianism at home.

Ankara’s foreign policy also saw Merkel’s government back limited EU sanctions on Turkey and restrictions on arms sales.

Germany has voiced concerns about the influence of Turkish institutions within its borders and banned Turkish politicians from campaigning in 2017, leading Erdogan to compare German officials to Nazis. There are concerns in Ankara that the next German government will be less tolerant of such differences.

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