Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently held talks in Germany, where they expressed differing views on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Scholz reiterated Germany's support for Israel's right to self-defense, while Erdogan criticized Israel's offensive in Gaza, particularly the attacks on children and hospitals. Erdogan also referred to Hamas militants as 'liberators', a group considered a terrorist organization by Israel, Germany, and the U.S.
The discussions also touched on other topics such as Sweden's potential accession to NATO, a move that Turkey has previously objected to due to Sweden's residency allowance for groups Ankara considers terrorists. The leaders also discussed the potential for a wider conflict in the region and the Russia-Ukraine grain deal.
Economic cooperation between Germany and Turkey has continued despite political differences, with bilateral trade reaching a record 51.6 billion euros in 2022. However, tensions were evident over Turkey's plans to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, which Germany is reportedly impeding.
Meanwhile, the war between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, with dire conditions reported in Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, due to lack of basic necessities like water, electricity, and sufficient food supply. The UN has called for Israel to stop using water as a 'weapon of war', highlighting the increasing risk of diseases due to lack of clean water. The conflict, now in its sixth week, has resulted in the deaths of over 11,500 Palestinians, including more than 4,500 children, according to Erdogan.