Merkel reveals a clear message to Erdogan on ZDF: "Watch out, I am their chancellor"

Status: 02.10.2023, 06:58 a.m.

By: Hannes Niemeyer

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In a ZDF documentary, ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel reports on a conversation with Erdogan about Germans of Turkish origin – and shows her lack of understanding for AfD voters.

Berlin – The migration debate is once again in full swing in Europe. In Germany, too, there are discussions – and action is being taken from the political side. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, for example, recently announced that border controls with Poland and the Czech Republic would be tightened. And CSU candidate Markus Söder is also involved in the debate in the election campaign for the 2023 Bavarian election.

Merkel reports on ZDF of anecdote with Erdogan: "I spoke to him about it very often"

Meanwhile, other countries are not holding back from criticizing Germany's handling of refugees. First and foremost Italy, where a minister recently turned to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a highly malicious manner. One person who is very familiar with the refugee debate in Germany is Scholz's predecessor Angela Merkel. Their "We can do it" in the crisis of 2015 went around the world. On ZDF, the ex-chancellor now emphasized that she was always the chancellor of all people in Germany – and also chose an anecdote from a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan.

"I have also spoken about this very often with Turkish President Erdogan," she told ZDF. It was about the question of who was responsible for people of Turkish origin who live here in the second or third generation. "And I've always said, 'Watch out, I'm their chancellor.'" Germany embraces everyone. "Since we now have a lot of people in recent years who live permanently in our country and have not always lived here, it is again a new task that we take them on."

Ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel: In a ZDF documentary, she spoke about a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan. © Hendrik Schmidt / dpa

Merkel on ZDF: Ex-Chancellor has "no understanding" for AfD voters

Angela Merkel spoke in the documentary "On the pulse with Mitri Sirin", which will be broadcast on ZDF this Tuesday on the day of reunification. There she also spoke of the fact that she had no understanding for people voting for the AfD. "If you make a name for yourself, so to speak, at the expense of other people, including people who look different and people with different biographies, then that's not something I can understand."

Merkel understands that people are angry about some things. But she is not prepared to accept that this is why people support ideas and ideas that have nothing to do with tolerance for her. "I would always argue against it and would say that in this democratic society you can express your criticism and anger in a different way." (han/dpa)