Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel at an iftar dinner in Istanbul in October 2006, using the occasion to argue that Türkiye's accession to the European Union would benefit both Europe and broader global stability.
Erdoğan said extremists exploit the absence of meaningful dialogue between cultures and religions, and called on political and religious leaders to promote peace through their words and conduct. He pointed to the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative, which he launched alongside Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, and cited a September cultural dialogue effort advanced jointly by the two countries' foreign ministers as a further step in that direction.
He argued that Türkiye's EU membership would demonstrate to the world that diverse religious traditions can coexist with universal values, offering a concrete model of civilizational cooperation.
Merkel expressed strong support for Türkiye's European integration and announced backing for the creation of a Turkish-German university in Türkiye. She also described a new German government initiative opening formal dialogue with Muslim community representatives, calling it the first of its kind in the country's history, and said the goal was to protect religious freedoms while building shared civic values.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.