Scholz, Erdogan progress on defence talks but clash on Mideast

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Istanbul. Following talks in the city, Erdogan thanked Scholz for his help in advancing a defence contract, although the pair remained starkly at odds over the Middle East crisis.

The German Chancellor arrived on Friday night for his first visit since March 2022 with tensions in the Middle East high on the agenda alongside migration and other bilateral issues.