Türkiye eyes cooperation with Germany on defense procurements: President Erdogan

By Esra Tekin and Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye wants to strengthen cooperation with Germany on the procurement of defense industry products, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

"We wish to improve our cooperation by leaving behind some of the problems previously experienced in the context of the supply of defense industry products," the Turkish leader said in a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Istanbul.

He also stated that Ankara and Berlin were committed to combating terrorist groups, particularly PKK, Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which threaten public safety in Germany as well. FETO is the group behind a 2016 defeated coup attempt in Türkiye.

- Israel’s attacks on Palestine, Lebanon

On Israeli attacks in the region, Erdogan said the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has an "expansionist mindset," clearly intending to extend the conflict beyond its current limits.​​​​​​​

He pointed out that Israel’s actions in Gaza have extended to Lebanon, adding that the deaths of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders were celebrated by both Tel Aviv, and the West.