Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu | Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images Merkel is Europe’s ‘only real leader,’ says Turkish minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu says Germany ‘has always been our closest ally.’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been the "only real leader in Europe" in recent years, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

"I respect Ms. Merkel very much," Çavuşoğlu told Spiegel in an interview published Thursday. "For the last five, six years, she has been the only real leader in Europe."

Çavuşoğlu's comments come after he met German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel recently in his hometown of Goslar.

The Turkish foreign minister referred to his German counterpart as a "dear friend," admitting his country has had "tensions with Germany" but that due to recent efforts to rebuild the relationship, "we can see a rapprochement between Germany and Turkey." Çavuşoğlu added that Germany "has always been our closest ally."

Still, when asked whether the apparent thawing of tensions between Turkey and Germany recently would have an impact on the Turkish economy, Çavuşoğlu responded: "If you're saying that we would only improve our relationship with another country in order to strengthen the economy, I cannot accept this. Turkey has dignity. We won't bend down to anyone."

Relations between Ankara and Berlin reached their lowest point in decades after a failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016. Berlin has led criticism of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s turn toward authoritarianism, while the Turkish leader has responded with a string of attacks, including drawing comparisons between Merkel and the Nazis.

"You've called Erdoğan a dictator. You've seriously insulted him," Çavuşoğlu said in the interview. "If you call Erdoğan a dictator, you should expect similar criticism from him."