BERLIN/ARBIL Pasha/Anadolu Agency

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country values Turkey's role in foreign policy and security, emphasizing that it represents an important strategic ally for Germany.

He made the remarks at a press conference on Wednesday following the conclusion of the 36th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Ankara.

Merz said: "I value Turkey's role in foreign policy and security. Turkey is an important strategic ally for us."

He explained that during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he emphasized the great importance Germany attaches to close cooperation with Turkey as a NATO partner, given its geostrategic location.

Merz noted that the success achieved in Syria would likely not have been possible without President Erdogan's contribution.

He added: "From this perspective, Turkey makes a huge contribution to the stability of the region."

He further stated that he asked President Erdogan to use all available potential, in coordination with Germany, to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Merz also announced that planning is underway for the next round of high-level German-Turkish intergovernmental consultations for strategic cooperation, to be hosted by Germany.

**Ankara summit exceeded my expectations

Merz confirmed that the NATO summit in Ankara was successful, saying: "We have taken an important step on the path of the new NATO."

He stressed that the alliance has exceptional strength and unity.

The German chancellor added that the contributions of European leaders greatly impressed him.

He said: "In the hall, there were not only atmospheres of genuine rapprochement and a sense of shared responsibility, but also a new sense of European responsibility."

The German chancellor clarified that no one questioned NATO's mission or the basic spirit of solidarity within the alliance.

He continued: "My expectations for the Ankara summit were met beyond what I had anticipated, and I see new momentum, especially on the European side."

Merz pointed out that European countries are working to build a European NATO that simultaneously maintains the transatlantic character of the alliance.

He mentioned that during the working sessions, he spoke about the "Ankara spirit."

He added that Europeans are shouldering their responsibilities and making NATO stronger, while at the same time achieving a fairer distribution of burdens and getting rid of unilateral dependence.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Merz said: "Ukraine is not only defending itself against Russian aggression, but also defending our freedom."

He reiterated that Russia will not achieve its war goals and that the time has come to sit at the negotiating table.

Merz added that he informed President Erdogan of the need to make every effort to end this war, because it places a burden on societies not only economically, but also socially and politically.

**Merz's statements on Trump

Speaking about US President Donald Trump, Merz said that Trump used the phrase "there is a feeling of love in the air" in his concluding remarks, adding that this phrase surprised him but pleased him.

He noted that Trump attended all summit sessions and did not leave the room, and that he listened attentively to representatives of the alliance's smaller member states.

Merz added that Trump voiced some criticism, saying: "There is still an imbalance between the defense efforts of the United States and those of the other 31 NATO member states."

He continued that Trump acknowledged the efforts made in this area, noting that previous US presidents also raised the issue of burden-sharing but failed to make progress.

Merz said: "Trump handled the matter differently, but the result serves his interest—we are all spending more."

He stressed that European countries are not doing this to appease some NATO members, but out of their own interests.

He continued: "To put it more simply, the phenomenon of 'free riding' by Europeans has come to an end."

Merz noted that Trump exerted pressure in a sharp manner during his first term.

He added: "I would like to express this from a more positive perspective. Previous US presidents kindly asked us to do more for our defense, but this request was ignored across Europe."

He pointed out that the current US president this time said in a harsher tone, "the cup is full," stressing that he did not feel offended by that.

Merz said: "If you look only at the numbers, you find that the NATO spending ratio is 80 to 20. The United States spends 80 percent, while Europe and the rest of NATO members spend only 20 percent. This is unacceptable."

In response to a question about Trump's statements regarding the possibility of launching a stronger attack on Iran tonight, Merz said this file was also present in the discussions.

He added that he does not want to violate the confidentiality of those talks, but he explained that Trump tried last night to explain the situation from his perspective, while the European side stressed the need to reach a solid and lasting agreement with Iran that ensures the Strait of Hormuz remains permanently open without imposing any fees or taxes on navigation.

Merz stressed the need to reach an agreement, especially on Iran's nuclear program.

He noted that Iran was the one that violated the agreement, and that the US armed forces responded strongly, executing President Trump's orders.