Relationship dossier
Turkey
Germany
Relationship assessment
Durable NATO and economic ties coexist with recurring political and security disputes.
Turkey toward Germany
+15Turkey has cooperated with Germany on NATO security, including permitting German forces to use Incirlik Air Base for operations against ISIS. In 2017, Turkey’s restrictions on German lawmakers’ access to the base contributed to Germany relocating its troops.
Germany toward Turkey
+15Germany has contributed to Turkey’s security through NATO, including deploying Patriot air-defence batteries there during the Syrian conflict. Germany has also maintained substantial bilateral diplomatic and economic engagement while publicly criticizing Turkish government actions and recognizing the Armenian genocide, decisions that have caused tensions.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship rests on sustained NATO cooperation and close economic and diplomatic engagement, alongside repeated disputes over political freedoms, the Armenian genocide and German access to military facilities in Turkey. These enduring ties support cooperation, but recurring political strains prevent a consistently close partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and Germany maintain substantial security, economic and diplomatic ties, including cooperation within NATO and German military deployments in Turkey. Their relationship has also faced recurring disputes over German parliamentary access to Turkish facilities, Turkey’s domestic political developments and Germany’s recognition of the Armenian genocide. Cooperation is durable, but political disagreements have periodically strained it.
Areas of tension
- Turkey’s restrictions on German lawmakers’ access to Incirlik Air Base and Germany’s subsequent troop relocation.
- Germany’s recognition of the Armenian genocide, which Turkey strongly opposed.
- German criticism of Turkish government actions and political developments.
Key developments
Germany deployed Patriot air-defence batteries to Turkey as part of NATO support during the Syrian conflict.
Turkey restricted German lawmakers’ access to Incirlik Air Base; Germany subsequently relocated its troops from the base.
The German parliament recognized the Armenian genocide, prompting strong objections from Turkey.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral security cooperation are unclear.
- The effects of political disagreements on ongoing economic and diplomatic cooperation are uncertain.