In Istanbul, Angela Merkel inevitably thanked Erdogan for her criticism

Thanks and some criticism: German Chancellor Angela Merkel last greeted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday.An important partnerShe often defended within Europe.

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Arriving the day before, the Chancellor, who will continue his farewell tour after 16 years as head of the first European economic power, was welcomed in Tarabia, one of the most magnificent presidential residences in Phosphorus, Istanbul. lunch. “I have sometimes been critical of the progress we have made in human rights and individual freedomsHe agreed during a press conference at the end of the meeting.

⁇The only thing I can tell you is the same in the next German government: the relationship between Turkey and Germany will continue with its good and bad sides.», She promised.

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For his part, President Erdogan thanked him twice. “Dear friend“Angela Merkel is worried about the outcome:”Working with an alliance is never easyAs negotiations are underway in Germany to form a future government, he said.

During his 16 years as President of Germany, despite strong differences at times and strong tensions after the defeat in Turkey in July 2016, he made sure to keep the door open between Berlin and Ankara and prevent Europe from closing on its own. Its big neighbor.

According to the latest official estimates, Europe, home to about three million people of Turkish descent, Turkey’s essential partner, has intervened several times in support of Ankara when relations with the European Union deteriorated. In particular, it has served as an important grip on an agreement reached on the critical issue of immigration. The European Union has provided Turkey with six billion euros to keep Turkey on its soil, preventing refugees from growing further west.

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The Turkish president argued on Saturday that his country had changed.A guest house(A guest house) More than 3.5 million refugees are currently living in its territory, including Syrians and 300,000 Afghans. Chancellor paid tribute “This is important work“And Guaranteed”European support for Turkey will continue»:EU support is needed to put an end to human trafficking: we have already paid 4.5 billion euros out of 6 billion.Agreed.

Personal relationship

Germany’s special relationship with Turkey depends on Merkel’s personality and her weight in the European scene.

Of course both leaders had. “Personal relationship is difficult in many respects, but they have always been able to maintain a cooperative and work environment. Germany never closed the door and always kept a channel open“, The researcher told AFP.

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Thanks to her, she insists, relations with Berlin are much better than in the United States or France. But he predicts that the future will be very difficult for both countries, especially in managing immigrants: “Whoever the new president is, he will not have the weight or power of Angela Merkel in the European scene; So it would be very difficult to integrate European policy“For Mr. Seufert, Angela Merkel’s departure is good.”Tough timesTo Turkey.

This is because there is ample evidence of tensions between Brussels and Ankara, particularly triggered by gas exploration missions in Cypriot waters off Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean in Greece, or the presence of Turkish troops in Libya. President Erdogan is also seen as a key obstacle to normalizing the situation in Cyprus, still split in two and holding on to one.Two state solutionWhich is not what the EU wants.