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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will urge Türkiye to take back more rejected asylum-seekers when he visits Ankara this week, as Berlin seeks to ramp up deportations amid growing domestic pressure over migration, a government source said Tuesday.
Following what officials described as “initial progress in recent months,” the source said, “further concrete steps must now follow.”
Merz is due to travel to Türkiye on Wednesday and meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday, marking his first official visit to the country since taking office in May.
Deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille said last week that the discussions will cover “bilateral and foreign policy issues, as well as closer cooperation in the areas of the economy, migration, and security.”
“We are striving to achieve further progress in EU–Türkiye relations, and as you know, we are currently conducting high-level dialogues on trade, migration, and security,” Hille said.
According to the German government, the leaders will also discuss regional and global issues, including Syria and the Middle East, as well as opportunities for enhanced trade.
Merz’s government has pledged a crackdown on irregular migration, with an emphasis on increasing deportations.
A total of 17,651 people were deported in the first nine months of 2025, compared with 14,706 during the same period in 2024, according to Germany’s Interior Ministry.
The largest number of those deported were Turkish nationals—1,614—reflecting Türkiye’s position as the top country of origin among those required to leave Germany.
“The government is therefore working to improve cooperation in the area of repatriation,” the government source said.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) told AFP that as of the end of September, 22,560 Turkish nationals were awaiting deportation from Germany.
Berlin is also seeking to resume deportations to Syria, citing “improved security conditions” under the country’s new leadership.
A government spokesman said the matter “also concerns us in our relationship with Turkey,” noting Ankara’s close ties with Damascus.
Since taking office, Merz has tightened border controls and implemented stricter residency and citizenship rules. His government has even resumed deportations to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan—a move that has drawn significant controversy.
Merz has faced criticism in recent weeks for claiming that migration is damaging “the image” of some German towns, sparking protests and backlash from members of his coalition partner, the center-left SPD.
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