Ankara denies opposition allegations of Eurofighter-asylum seeker swap deal with Germany
The chief spokesperson for the Turkish president’s office on Sunday denied claims by the main opposition CHP party suggesting that Turkey is prepared to take back asylum seekers from Germany in exchange for Berlin approving Ankara’s request for Eurofighter jets.
Such an agreement is “out of the question,” Turkish Presidency Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said, dismissing Ozel’s accusations as “complete lies.”
Earlier, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Istanbul on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that Turkey’s doors are “open” to refugees fleeing war in the Middle East.
“Our doors have always been open to refugees coming from Syria. Particularly during a time of war like the present, if there is anyone that can come to Turkey from there, including Lebanon, our doors are always open,” stated Erdogan.
The opposition linked Erdogan’s comments with the ongoing negotiations between Ankara and Berlin for the acquisition of Eurofighter jets.
“I have met with Olaf Scholz many times and have many contacts with the Germans. They say that Erdogan agreed to take refugees from Germany. In exchange for the Eurofighters, he will take refugees from Germany,” said CHP Chairman Ozgurt Ozel.
The Eurofighter negotiations are the latest chapter in Turkey’s ongoing bid to modernize its fighter jet fleet, a tension-fraught process that began in 2019 when the United States ousted Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program following Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
Scholz on Saturday said that an initiative to possibly supply Turkey with Eurofighter jets was being driven by Britain and was still in the early stages.
“It is something that will continue to develop,” he said in response to a question on the subject at the Istanbul press conference.
