The sentence that has sparked debate across Germany was uttered almost casually as Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his guest, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, addressed journalists after their meeting in  in Berlin on Monday . Responding to a question about Syrian refugees, Merz said that "over the longer term of the next three years — that was the wish of al-Sharaa — 80% of the Syrians currently in Germany should return to their homeland." This left the journalists scratching their heads. Is 80% of the more than 900,000 Syrians in Germany really feasible? Did Merz really say that? It took several hours for politicians and commentators to react to this statement. On Tuesday, Merz reiterated that with his statement, he had merely relayed the wish of the Syrian president.…