Merkel's Approach to Erdogan on Refugees Stirs German Doubts

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, meets Turkey's President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Yildiz Palace state apartments
during her visit in Istanbul, Turkey on October 18, 2015.

BLOOMBERG BUSINESS: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mission to reach out to Turkey prompted skepticism in Germany, where questions were raised about her offer to strengthen Turkish ties with the European Union in return for stemming the continent’s refugee crisis.

Merkel’s trip to Istanbul Sunday underscored the pivotal role of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan two weeks before Turkish elections and also showed how the crisis is forcing European leaders to engage with a country they’ve kept at arm’s length for a decade. Erdogan is seeking to restore the parliamentary majority the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, lost in June 7 elections.

“Whom does the chancellor’s trip to Turkey benefit more: Merkel or Erdogan?” asked Germany’s best-selling Bild newspaper Monday. The chancellor has “seldom been in such a weak position” as she was in Istanbul, said Handelsblatt, while Die Welt cited senior officials from Merkel’s Bavarian sister party as ruling out Turkish membership of the EU. » | Patrick Donahue Isobel Finkel | Sunday, October 18, 2015 | Updated: Monday, October 19, 2015