Germany–Turkey relations (; ) have their beginnings in the times of the Ottoman Empire and they have culminated in the development of strong bonds with many facets that include economic, military, cultural and social relations. With Turkey as a candidate for the European Union, of which Germany is the largest member, and the existence of a significant Turkish diaspora in Germany, these relations have become more and more intertwined over the decades. Relations with Turkey significantly deteriorated after the 2016–17 Turkish purges including the arrest of journalists such as Die Welts Deniz Yücel. Both countries are members of the Council of Europe and NATO. Germany opposes Turkey's European Union membership. Germany has an embassy in Ankara and a consulate-general in Istanbul, and Turkey has an embassy in Berlin.
History
Medieval and Early Modern periods Wars between the Holy Roman Empire and Sultanate of Rum
Crusade of 1101 (1101) Battle of Dorylaeum (1147) Battle of Philomelion (1190) Battle of Iconium (1190)
Wars between the Holy Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire
Battle of Nicopolis (1396) Battle of Mohács (1526) First Turkish Siege of Vienna (1529) Little War in Hungary (1530–1552) Italian War of 1536–38 Siege of Buda (1541) Italian War of 1542–46 Siege of Esztergom (1543) Siege of Nice (1543) Italian War of 1551–59 Long Turkish War (1591–1606) Turkish Siege of Érsekújvár (1663) Battle of Saint Gotthard (1664) Great Turkish War (1683–1699) Second Turkish Siege of Vienna (1683) Battle of Párkány (1683) First Holy League Siege of Buda (1684) Holy League Siege of Érsekújvár (1685) Second Holy League Siege of Buda (1686) Siege of Pécs (1686) Second Battle of Mohács (1687) Holy League Siege of Belgrade (1688) Turkish Siege of Belgrade (1690) Battle of Slankamen (1691) Battle of Lugos (1695) Battle of Ulaş (1696) Battle of Zenta (1697)
Late 19th century and World War I
Baghdad Railway Ottoman–German Alliance Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau Middle Eastern theatre of World War I Germany and the Armenian genocide
In the late 19th century, the Ottoman Empire suffered defeats in the Russo-Turkish and Greek-Ottoman Wars, and sought to reform their military. Many army officers ended up training in Germany. The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdulhamid II (1876–1909), asked the Prussians for military support, and the GMC (German Military Commission) was established in 1882, and operated until the end of WW1.
The Ottoman Empire wanted an alliance with Germany because Germany was one of the few powers in Europe that did not seek Turkish territory, unlike Russia and Britain. Otto Von Bismarck visited the Ottoman Empire and declared himself a "friend of Muslims", and it was the German government's position that Turkey could be used to incite revolt in India, and could "tie up" the British army and navy.
"Colmar von der Goltz, head of the German military mission from 1883 to 1895, trained Ottoman army officers and wrote textbooks for them." He also befriended many important members of the young Turks movement.
The German proposals to build a railway system toward Baghdad alarmed the British, for it threatened British control over the links to India. However, these issues were peacefully resolved in February 1914, and did not play a role in the July Crisis that ended in the Great War.
The Ottoman–German Alliance was an alliance between the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire made on August 2, 1914, shortly following the outbreak of World War I. The alliance was created as part of a joint-cooperative effort that would strengthen and modernize the failing Ottoman military, as well as provide Germany safe passage into neighboring British colonies. The treaty came from the initiative of the Ottomans. It was replaced in January 1915 by a full-scale military alliance that promised Ottoman entry into the war.Hew Strachan, The First World War: Volume I: To Arms. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press, 2003) pp 644-93.Gerard E. Silberstein, "The Central Powers and the Second Turkish Alliance, 1915." Slavic Review 24.1 (1965): 77-89. in JSTORFrank G. Weber, Eagles on the Crescent: Germany, Austria, and the diplomacy of the Turkish alliance, 1914-1918 (Cornell University Press, 1970). The Central Powers of World War I would eventually be made up of both the Germans and the Ottomans, as well as the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Bulgaria.
German General Otto Liman von Sanders was given command of the Ottoman Fifth Army defending Gallipoli.
Generals Erich von Falkenhayn and Otto Liman von Sanders commanded the Ottoman Yildirim Army during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign.
World War II
During World War II, Turkey maintained diplomatic relations with Germany until August 1944. The German–Turkish Treaty of Friendship was signed on 18 June 1941. In October 1941, the "Clodius Agreement" (named after the German negotiator, Dr. Carl August Clodius) was achieved, whereby Turkey would export up to 45,000 tons of chromite ore to Germany in 1941–1942, and 90,000 tons of the mineral in each of 1943 and 1944, contingent on Germany's supplies of military equipment to Turkey. The Germans provided as many as 117 railway locomotives and 1,250 freight rail cars to transport the ore. In an attempt to prevent the supply of this strategic mineral to Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom went on a spree of what was termed "preclusive buying", buying out Turkish chromite even if they did not need so much of it. As a part of the "package deal”, the Anglo-Americans bought Turkish dried fruit and tobacco as well.Allied Relations and Negotiations With Turkey, US State Department, pp. 6-8
In August 1944, the Soviet Army entered Bulgaria and cut overland contact between Turkey and the Axis powers. Turkey severed its diplomatic and commercial relations with Germany, and on February 23, 1945, declared war on Germany.
Political relations Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Germany's support to the Turkish bid has not been consistent in the German political arena. Support has varied over time; for example one former Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, expressed opposition on the issue, while another, Gerhard Schröder, was seen to be a staunch supporter.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel advocated a "vaguely defined partnership" and has opposed full membership of Turkey to the EU.Google Newspapers Then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in response in July 2009, "We will never accept a privileged partnership. We want full membership into the EU. We don't want anything else other than full membership."
In 2006, Merkel said "Turkey could be in deep, deep trouble when it comes to its aspirations to join the European Union" regarding its refusal to open up its ports to European Union member Cyprus. She added: We need an implementation of the Ankara Protocols regarding unrestricted trade with Cyprus too. Otherwise, the situation becomes very, very serious when it comes to the continuation of Turkey's accession negotiations. I appeal to Turkey to do everything to avoid such a complicated situation and not to lead the European Union into such a situation.
Merkel also said that she could not imagine negotiations continuing without concessions made by Ankara toward opening up its ports to Cypriot ships. The Turkish Government responded by demanding that the EU lift its embargo on the Turkish-controlled part of the island in return.
On 20 June 2013, in the wake of Ankara's crackdown on mass demonstrations in Taksim Square and throughout the country, Germany blocked the start to new EU accession talks with Turkey. According to the Financial Times, one Turkish official said that such a move could potentially break off political relations with the bloc. "The EU needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the EU," Egemen Bagis, Turkey's EU minister stated. "If we have to, we could tell them, "get lost.'" Germany says that its reservation stems from a technical issue, but Angela Merkel has described herself as "shocked" after Ankara's use of overwhelming police force against mostly peaceful demonstrators.
On 25 June EU foreign ministers backed a German proposal to postpone further EU membership talks with Turkey for about four months due to the Turkey's handling of the protests. A delay in opening new chapters for Turkey would raise new doubts about whether the country should ever be admitted to the European Union. In early June in comments on Turkey's possible membership German Chancellor Angela Merkel did not address the compromise proposal but said Turkey must make progress on its relations with EU member Cyprus to give impetus to its membership ambitions.
EU sanctions In December 2020, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among the EU leaders who opposed sanctions against Turkey, due to its gas drilling activities in the Mediterranean and foreign policy in general.
Diplomatic incidents In August 2018, German firemen removed a four-meter golden statue of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Wiesbaden on security grounds after it provoked an angry response from local people.Madeline Chambers (29 August 2018), Germany removes golden statue of Erdogan after protests Reuters.
In October 2021, in the wake of the appeal for the release of Turkish activist Osman Kavala signed by 10 western countries, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered his foreign minister to declare the German ambassador persona non grata, alongside the other 9 ambassadors. However, the ambassadors did not receive any formal notice to leave the country and Erdoğan eventually stepped back. In April 2022, Turkey condemned Germany's summoning of its ambassador and called in Germany’s ambassador Jürgen Schulz in a tit-for-tat move amid a row over Kavala's jailing for life.Tuvan Gumrukcu (29 April 2022), Turkey, Germany summon each other's envoys amid row over jailing of Turkish philanthropist Reuters.
In May 2022, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu summoned the German and French ambassadors to Turkey to protest events organized by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in both countries.Tuvan Gumrukcu (31 May 2022), Turkey summons German, French envoys over Kurdish militant events, minister says Reuters.
In July 2022, the website of Deutsche Welle (DW) was blocked by an Ankara court after it refused to comply with a request to obtain a broadcast licence; DW had argued that being overseen by the country’s broadcast regulator would lead to demands that would be tantamount to censorship.Laura Pitel (1 July 2022), Turkey bans access to US and German public broadcasters Financial Times.
In May 2023, the public prosecutor's office in Darmstadt announced publicly that police had searched the private apartments of two journalists in the western town of Moerfelden-Walldorf and briefly detained them on suspicion of dangerous dissemination of personal data. In response, Turkey summoned the German ambassador in Ankara to express condemnation over the detention.Huseyin Hayatsever (17 May 2023), Turkey summons German envoy over detention of Turkish journalists Reuters.
In July 2024, Germany summoned Turkey's ambassador over Turkish football player Merih Demiral's ultra-nationalist "wolf salute" at a UEFA Euro 2024 match, days ahead of a reported trip by Erdoğan to Berlin.Alexander Ratz and Huseyin Hayatsever (4 July 2024), Germany summons Turkish ambassador over rightist 'wolf' goal celebration at Euros Reuters.
State visits
In 2006, Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Turkey for talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on bilateral relations and to discuss accession of Turkey to the EU.
In 2008, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Berlin and met Chancellor Merkel, and also visited Munich. He suggested during the visit that the German government establish Turkish medium schools and that German high schools hire more teachers from Turkey.