Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks with Hendrik Wüst, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia and a leading candidate to succeed Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, during a three-day visit to Turkey. The meeting, which took place on Monday, underscored Erdoğan’s readiness to engage directly with a regional German leader, signaling potential shifts in political dynamics within Germany as Merz faces mounting domestic challenges.
The 50-minute discussion focused on the longstanding relationship between North Rhine-Westphalia and Turkey, including economic cooperation and current political issues, according to a member of Wüst’s delegation. Both leaders addressed Turkey’s role as a NATO member and strategic partner, in addition to the broader relationship between the European Union and Turkey. Wüst voiced support for reforming the EU-Turkey customs union, highlighting the unique social and economic ties between Turkey and his state.
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state with around 18 million residents, is home to roughly one million people of Turkish descent and includes major cities such as Cologne and Düsseldorf. Wüst acknowledged this connection, describing the region as “no region is as closely connected to Turkey, both socially and economically,” while also expressing concerns regarding recent political developments in Turkey, particularly issues related to the rule of law and press freedom.
Wüst’s visit marks the 65th anniversary of the 1960s labor migration agreement that facilitated the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Turkish workers to West Germany. This migration played a key role in driving Germany’s postwar economic growth, often referred to as the country’s “economic miracle.”
The trip follows growing speculation in German media and political circles about Wüst’s potential rise within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Wüst, who leads a coalition government comprising Christian Democrats and Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia, has become a prominent figure amid Merz’s declining approval ratings, electoral setbacks, and internal party tensions. Earlier this year, Wüst’s visit to Poland, including a stop at Auschwitz, further intensified speculation about a possible leadership change within the CDU.
In addition to meeting Erdoğan, Wüst is scheduled to engage with Turkish business leaders to encourage investment in North Rhine-Westphalia’s manufacturing hubs, which have faced economic difficulties in recent years. He also plans to travel to Istanbul during the visit.
For Erdoğan, the meeting occurs at a challenging time as his government seeks to manage the fallout from an $18 billion financial scandal affecting more than 450,000 retail investors. The scandal has led to the resignation of a senior ruling party official and added pressure to the administration’s standing domestically.