Turkey indulges in schadenfreude as German right triumphs
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says mainstream German politicians paid a price for dragging Turkey into their campaign, but he may find the new government in Berlin even more reluctant to mend ties with Turkey.
Turkey officials may be gloating after a German election this week ushered into parliament a right-wing party for the first time in six decades, but the results will also make Ankara’s efforts to repair frayed relations with Europe even trickier.
Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in Sunday's parliamentary elections, but her victory was overshadowed by the record 13.5% votes for the anti-Muslim Alternative for Germany (AfD). Unease with immigration as well as tensions with Turkey were central in the AfD’s surge.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has sparred with Merkel in recent months, said anti-Turkey rhetoric eroded support for Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). Now, the CDU faces tough coalition talks with two other parties in what may prove to be a wobbly government.
“Why are you trying to use us in your election in Germany? You’ll see, they won’t be able to form a government. It will take them months,” Erdogan said during a televised speech Sept. 26. “They think that if you bash Turkey, you’ll win points … but you can’t, you will lose." He added, “They are constantly working to harm Turkey and the Turkish people.”
