Erdogan unexpectedly meets NRW Premier Wüst in Turkey
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North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) is meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a three-day visit to Turkey, according to delegation sources. The meeting, which was not originally on Wüst's schedule and was finalized only on Monday, is considered unusual protocol-wise and is seen as a sign of appreciation for Wüst in Turkey, where one million people of Turkish origin live. Wüst, who is visiting Ankara and Istanbul until Wednesday, is viewed as a potential successor candidate amid the severe crisis facing party leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. At the start of his trip, Wüst called for a modernization of the EU-Turkey customs union, describing it as overdue and a major opportunity for NRW. Turkey has long demanded such reforms, but the project, along with visa liberalization and EU accession talks, has been frozen due to rule-of-law backsliding. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas discussed strengthening EU-Turkey relations with Erdogan in June.
Source report
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York last week. Source: Mike Segar / REUTERS
North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) is meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his three-day visit to Turkey, according to delegation sources.
Key Details
- The meeting between the two politicians was not originally scheduled on Wüst's itinerary.
- The decision for the Monday afternoon meeting was only finalized on Monday itself.
- Wüst will remain in Turkey until Wednesday, with destinations including Ankara and Istanbul.
Diplomatic Significance
It is unusual, for protocol reasons, for a Turkish head of state to meet with a state premier. The meeting is seen as a sign of the high regard for Wüst in Turkey. Approximately one million people of Turkish origin live in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Political Context
Wüst, a CDU politician, is considered a potential successor candidate amid the ongoing crisis facing party leader and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Call for EU-Turkey Customs Union Reform
At the start of his trip to Ankara, Wüst advocated for modernizing the customs union between the European Union and Turkey.
"We need a reform of the EU-Turkey customs union," Wüst said in a joint interview with the Turkish daily Hürriyet and the state news agency Anadolu. From North Rhine-Westphalia's perspective, this is long overdue and represents a major opportunity.
Turkey has long demanded an update to the customs union. The project, along with planned visa liberalization and EU accession talks, had been put on hold due to setbacks in the rule of law in Turkey. EU Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas discussed a potential strengthening of EU-Turkey relations during a meeting with President Erdogan in June.
With reporting by dpa
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