Chancellor Merkel in Turkey: Curiosity Needs Freedom

* Photos: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel was in Turkey today (January 24) to hold official talks and attend the inauguration ceremony of the Turkish-German University in Beykoz, İstanbul.

Addressing the audience at the inauguration ceremony, President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that "while there were 99 students at the Turkish-German University in 2013, this number reached 2 thousand 385 in 2019."

"We abolished the university fees which were once exploited by some marginal circles. We have increased the credit/scholarship of our undergraduate students to 550 lira", he indicated further.

Merkel: Curiosity is a delicate plant...

Speaking at the ceremony, Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated that this university came to life with the important initiative of Turkey, reminding the audience that "German scientists took refuge in Turkey during the Nazi rule".

Merkel stated the following in brief: "There were architects and mayors among them. Turkey also gives the opportunity of refuge to millions of Syrians today, which gains our thanks and appreciations.

"Science and education improve the creativity and freedom of people. As Albert Einstein once said, 'Curiosity is a delicate little plant that, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom.'

'The freer science is...'

"The freer science is, the richer its results get. Science needs critical statements. I personally experienced it as a professor of physics in East Germany how difficult it was to do science with restricted freedoms.

"After we reunited with freedom, we have obtained results that we could only dream of in the past. At first, there were also developments that seemed like dreams. From time to time, I even thought that I would not be successful.

"Today, we opened a very impressive campus. 5 thousand students are expected to receive education here. This campus is an extraordinary symbol of the cooperation between Turkey and Germany. And the university adds the strengths of Turkish and German education systems."

'Media has been silenced in Turkey'

Before Chancellor Angela Merkel came to Turkey for her state visit, several politicians in Germany made calls to her. As reported by Deutsche Welle (DW), Free Democratic Party (FDP) foreign affairs specialist Alexander Graf Lambsdorff addressed the following remarks to Merkel:

"President Erdoğan tramples upon human rights in domestic politics. He has also deprived the Parliament of its power, taken the judiciary under the control of the government. The media has been silenced in the country."

Indicating that Turkey acts on its own in foreign affairs, in Syria and Libya, Lambsdorff also accused Turkey of standing on the side of İslamist militia. "All of these are against the obligations of a country which is a member of the NATO and a candidate country for the EU membership." (PT/SD)