Relations with Turkey significantly deteriorated after the 2016–17 Turkish purges[1][2][3][4][5] including the arrest of journalists such as Die Welt's Deniz Yücel.

The alliance was created as part of a joint-cooperative effort that would strengthen and modernize the failing Ottoman military, as well as provide Germany safe passage into neighboring British colonies.

[citation needed] German Chancellor Angela Merkel advocated a "vaguely defined partnership"[10] and has opposed full membership of Turkey to the EU.

I appeal to Turkey to do everything to avoid such a complicated situation and not to lead the European Union into such a situation.Merkel also said that she could not imagine negotiations continuing without concessions made by Ankara toward opening up its ports to Cypriot ships.

[14] On 20 June 2013, in the wake of Ankara's crackdown on mass demonstrations in Taksim Square and throughout the country, Germany blocked the start to new EU accession talks with Turkey.

'"[15] Germany says that its reservation stems from a technical issue, but Angela Merkel has described herself as "shocked" after Ankara's use of overwhelming police force against mostly peaceful demonstrators.

[18][19] In December 2020, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among the EU leaders who opposed sanctions against Turkey, due to its gas drilling activities in the Mediterranean and foreign policy in general.

[20] In August 2018, German firemen removed a four-meter golden statue of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Wiesbaden on security grounds after it provoked an angry response from local people.

[24] In May 2022, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu summoned the German and French ambassadors to Turkey to protest events organized by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in both countries.

[27] In July 2024, Germany summoned Turkey's ambassador over Turkish football player Merih Demiral's ultra-nationalist "wolf salute" at a UEFA Euro 2024 match, days ahead of a reported trip by Erdoğan to Berlin.

[31] In 2018, in advance of a state visit by now-president Erdoğan, the Erdogan Not Welcome association organised protest demonstrations with about 80-200 participants in Berlin, Essen and Bielefeld.

[32] For Erdoğan's supporters in Turkey and abroad, the most significant event was the opening of a new multimillion-euro mega mosque in the cathedral city of Cologne.

The visit prompted criticism towards German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier who hosted a state banquet from Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist who was jailed for a year in Turkey.

[33][34] On 19 October 2024, Turkish President Erdogan and German Chancellor Scholz met in Istanbul, where they disagreed on a regional issue but maintained a cooperative tone.

Machinery, electrical goods and motor vehicles and supply parts for the automobile industry account for a particularly large portion of German exports to Turkey.

Germany has turned out to be the number one partner of Turkey in fields such as foreign trade, financial and technical cooperation, tourism and defense industry.

[41] Germany had also provided technical assistance in developing and operating drones, Leopard tank 2A4, KORKUT anti-aircraft system, PorSav missiles, MILGEM warship, Airbus A400M Atlas and MEKO frigates.

[47] On 31 July 2016, the German Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported, that the "Union der Vielfalt", a group of members of the CDU warned the party leadership against infiltration from the AKP.

[48] In September 2022, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has filed a lawsuit against Free Democratic Party (FDP) politician and Vice-President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Kubicki for allegedly having insulted him.

[51] In October 2018, Germany has warned citizens visiting Turkey to be extra cautious about their social media feeds in response to a spate of cases of Germans arrested for criticism of the Turkish government.

“Non-public comments on social media can be forwarded to Turkish authorities via denunciations,”[52] In July 2015, Der Tagesspiegel newspaper reported that German federal prosecutors were looking into claims that three men - two Turks and a German national - were instructed by MIT to spy on Erdogan critics in Cologne, particularly Kurds and members of the Muslim minority Alevi community.

[54] In March 2017, the Turkish secret intelligence service MIT was accused of conducting espionage of more than 300 people and 200 associations and schools linked to supporters of exiled Fethullah Gülen.

[55][56][57] On 30 March 2017 Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere expresses suspicions that the move may have been intended to weigh on Turkish-German relations − "to provoke us in some way".

[59][60][61] In October 2017, according to German press reports officials working in Germany's immigration authorities pass on information about Turkish asylum seekers to Turkey.