Erdogan warms to Germans ahead of trip, but Berlin visit may disappoint
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hopeful talk en route to Berlin via New York this week is premature, as his visit has sharply divided Germany and the large Turkish population that lives there.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to fly to Berlin on Thursday on his first formal state visit to the German capital, where he will be received with full honors by his German counterpart Frank Walter Steinmeier. Coming amid a looming economic crisis and a meltdown in relations with Washington, Erdogan’s trip is seen as critical to Ankara’s efforts to restore Turkey’s credibility with foreign investors and sagging diplomatic prestige among its Western allies. Above all, it's viewed as an opportunity to turn the page with Germany, the country that arguably has the most leverage over Turkey. Erdogan’s likening of its leaders to “Nazis,” jailing of German citizens for political reasons and meddling in Germany’s internal politics have left an indelible mark.
But Erdogan’s hopeful talk of leaving the “past period completely behind” in comments to reporters en route to New York this week is premature.
Erdogan’s visit has sharply divided Germany, Turkey’s second largest trading partner and home to some 3.5 million people who trace their origins to Turkey.
Christian Lidner, the leader of the opposition Free Democrats, and top leaders from the Greens party were among those who spurned a meal with Turkey’s strongman to be hosted by Steinmeier on Friday at the Bellevue palace in Berlin. Lidner said he “did not want to be part of Erdogan propaganda,” echoing widespread disdain felt for the Turkish president over his ruthless suppression of democratic freedoms.
