German newspaper Die Tageszeitung headlined German ‘weakness’ in the face of ongoing Turkish provocations in the East Med and the Caucus as Armenia and Azerbaijanagree to a ceasefire.
"In the eyes of the Nobel Peace Prize winner apparently, it ended with the relocation of borders and the displacement of tens of thousands of Armenians. This is not the first time the EU has failed during the German presidency," the newspaper said.
The newspaper then made reference to how "war almost broke out when Turkey was provoking with drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean."
"Greece, Cyprus and France had then demanded a quick and tough response, but [German] Chancellor Merkel relied on secret diplomacy and a policy of appeasement. This attitude is now being avenged," the newspaper said.
"At a time when the situation in the eastern Mediterranean has calmed down, but has not been resolved, President Erdogan is sending Syrian mercenaries to the Caucasus. Today celebrates a victory in Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh [Artsakh]. Germany has led the EU to defeat. We are already drawing this conclusion."
In a front-page commentary entitled "Putin in his best role", the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung sheds light on the role of Russian President Putin in the war in the Caucasus.
"President Putin can now claim to have stopped the bloodshed. The truce just before the overwhelming defeat of Armenia refers to Moscow's agreement with Baku and Ankara. Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan is now a loser or even a traitor to Armenians. Russia is getting what it wants for a long time. A military presence in Azerbaijan. And in all these developments, the West simply has a spectator role," the newspaper said.
90% of the media speak for Erdogan.
"The way we managed the Turkish media, the resignation of Turkish Minister Finance and son-in-law of Erdogan, Berat Albayrak, shows how low media has fallen in the country," writes Tageszeitung.
"Television stations and newspapers did not dare to communicate the news of the resignation until they get the green light from the Turkish presidency. Neither the Anadolu news agency nor newspapers such as Hürriyet or television stations such as CNN Türk reported that Albayrak had resigned."
"Turkish public opinion remained uninformed as international stations broadcast the details of the resignation. Only 24 hours later did President Erdogan accept his resignation, and Anadolu Agency and other media outlets informed the Turks of what had happened."
"In the meantime, even media outlets that support Erdogan have begun to criticize themselves despite the fact that with the line they are following, they are securing the favor of the Turkish president. It is estimated that 90% of the media are now spokespersons for the Turkish presidency."
"Due to this situation, more and more Turks are turning to alternative media such as the YouTube channel of journalist Cüneyt Özdemir. Despite the Turkish president's efforts to silence these media outlets with a new law on social media control, journalists such as Ruşen Çakır, who runs the Medyascope channel, believe that Ankara will not win this battle because According to the journalist, technological development provides more and more ways to escape."
