Will Turkey Purchase Weapons from Moscow? Details from Erdoğan and Scholz Meeting

A meeting has taken place in Turkey between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to Ermenihaber, the parties held a press conference during which they shared the details of the meeting.

According to the Turkish president, in addition to Turkish-German relations, the situation in Ukraine was also discussed. Erdoğan stated that there is an agreement to activate Turkish-German diplomatic ties to address the situation created in Ukraine.

The economic relations between Turkey and Germany were also discussed. In 2020, the trade volume between the two countries reached $38 billion, and in 2021, it increased to $41 billion. He expressed hope that this year it would reach $50 billion.

Responding to a question from a journalist about whether Turkey would join Western sanctions against Russia and if it would purchase weapons from Moscow, the Turkish leader said, “We need to maintain our friendship with both Zelensky and Putin. As for the sanctions, we have done what is necessary within the framework of UN provisions. And we have done what NATO member countries did not do regarding Ukraine.”

In turn, the German leader praised Turkey's actions within the scope of the Montreux Convention in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. He stated that Berlin aims to expand ties with Turkey further and make them more effective. He promised that the new German government would work in that direction.