Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Germany under high security

Berlin: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Germany Thursday for a controversial three-day visit to the country. Both parties hope this will help rebuild the relationships that have been battered in recent years. The links between NATO allies collapsed after the Erdogan government arrested tens of thousands of people during a mass purge following a coup attempt in 2016, including some German nationals. Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country has a Turkish community of three million inhabitants, has repeatedly stressed the importance of good relations with Ankara, a partner on which she relies to help stop the flow of migrants. arriving on European shores.

The visit does not lack political and economic problems, the shadow of football also occupies an important place. Turkey and Germany are engaged in a fierce fight to host the Euro 2024 tournament, and the winner will be announced several hours after the arrival of Erdogan. Security was tight in the German capital, where Erdogan was to be hosted outside the Tegel airport by Reporters Without Borders press freedom protesters.

Thousands of Erdogan critics have pledged to take to the streets in Berlin and Germany to protest everything from Turkey's human rights record to its offensive. against Kurdish militias in Syria. Erdogan said he would use the visit to improve relations and put pressure on Germany to step up the fight against "terrorist groups" like the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the movement of the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. stroke.

Despite tensions, Berlin and Ankara have been striving to rebuild their ties at a time when Erdogan is openly in conflict with US President Donald Trump and the Turkish economy is in rapid decline. The gradual rapprochement began after the release of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel in February, while journalist Mesale Tolu was also allowed to return to Germany last month. Both still face terrorism-related charges in Turkey.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will welcome Erdogan – on his first official visit to Germany since taking over the presidency in 2014 – with military honors and a state dinner at the Bellevue Palace on Friday. Several opposition politicians have sworn to boycott. During his stay, he will also meet Ms Merkel twice for talks that should also focus on the conflict in Syria. On Saturday, Erdogan will travel to Cologne to open one of the largest mosques in Europe, at the request of the organization Ditib, controlled by Ankara.