Erdoğan meets Hendrik Wüst in Ankara in unusual encounter with potential Merz successor

ANKARA, September 28 — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday received Hendrik Wüst, the premier of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in Ankara for an unusual meeting in which economic relations, Turkey–EU ties and visa rules were discussed, as ATSH–DPA reports.

Wüst is the minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Germany’s 16 main administrative units.

He is seen by some political circles as a name that could one day succeed Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is under political pressure.

Wüst, however, said yesterday he has no intention of becoming chancellor.

The meeting with Erdoğan lasted about 50 minutes and is unusual, as the Turkish president does not normally receive German state premiers.

One reason for the meeting’s significance is that North Rhine-Westphalia is home to Germany’s largest community of Turkish origin.

During the meeting, Wüst called for improved economic relations between Germany and Turkey.

He backed the modernization of the EU–Turkey customs union, rules that ease trade between them; fast-track procedures for business visas and stronger cooperation with Turkish companies.

According to Wüst’s office, Turkey is becoming increasingly important for North Rhine-Westphalia companies, both as a place to produce and as a way to have more alternatives for the supply of goods and materials.

Wüst praises the Turkish community in Germany

The visit is also linked to the 65th anniversary of the 1961 agreement through which West Germany allowed workers from Turkey to come and work in the country.

Today around 3 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany.

Around a third of them live in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Wüst said the Turkish community played an important role in Germany’s economic development after World War II, working in industry, construction and other sectors.

He also said people of Turkish origin who know German and Turkish language and culture are an opportunity to strengthen ties between the two countries.

The visit and the human rights issue

During the Ankara visit, Wüst also visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.

But the visit comes at a time when Turkey is criticized over human rights and democracy.

Negotiations for Turkey’s EU membership have been suspended for years over concerns about democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.

There has also been criticism over the arrest of Erdoğan’s political opponents, particularly Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former mayor of Istanbul and one of his political rivals.

Wüst said that during the visit he focused on cooperation between Germany and Turkey, arguing that problematic issues can be discussed better when relations between the countries are strong.