Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s impending visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing escalating scrutiny, with prominent voices highlighting the urgent need for a robust and critical assessment of Turkey’s human rights record. Deniz Yücel, spokesperson for PEN Berlin, has publicly urged Merz to address the shrinking space for dissent and fundamental freedoms within Turkey.
Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), Yücel underscored the worrying trend of journalists being imprisoned or subjected to house arrest, alongside the systematic suppression of democratic opposition movements. Drawing on his own experience as a former Turkey correspondent for “Welt” where he was detained on terrorism-related charges, Yücel emphasized the delicate balance facing German leadership: maintaining a crucial partnership with Turkey without becoming complicit in the Erdogan regime’s actions.
Yücel’s comments resonated with Christian Mihr, Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany, who echoed the call for decisive action. Mihr stressed that Amnesty International expects Chancellor Merz to openly criticize the ongoing attacks on independent civil society within Turkey. He cautioned against a deepening of ties with Turkey, as seemingly pursued by the current German government, warning that such an intensification must not come at the expense of fundamental human rights principles.
The concerns extend beyond the immediate state of human rights within Turkey, with Yücel specifically noting the impact of the increasingly radical, Islamist-leaning regime on the Turkish-German community within Germany. The criticism points to a recurring pattern within German policy, where Turkey’s significance is often assessed primarily through a security-focused lens, overshadowing crucial considerations surrounding human rights, democratic values and the broader implications for a significant segment of the German population. This necessitates a bolder stance from Chancellor Merz, demanding tangible improvements in Turkey’s human rights record alongside continued diplomatic engagement.
