German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier began a delicate visit to Turkey on Monday, bringing along a Berlin kebab chef to demonstrate the close personal relationship between the two countries despite differences with his Turkish counterpart.
Steinmeier, who is visiting Turkey for the first time since becoming president, has had a difficult relationship with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The German head of state was quick to criticize Erdogan’s approach to Israel and has previously expressed concern about the erosion of democratic norms in Turkey.
A source at the German president, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was “a signal” that he would not start the trip from the capital Ankara.
Instead, Steinmeier’s first stop will be Istanbul, where he will meet with civil society activists and the city’s mayor, opposition figure Ekrem Imamoglu.
In recent local elections, voters decided to return Imamoglu as mayor, dealing a blow to Erdogan and his ruling party.
On Tuesday, Steinmeier will meet with survivors of the devastating 2023 earthquake in Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.
Talks with Erdogan in Ankara will wait until Wednesday.
Rather than fawning over the president, Steinmeier wanted to focus on the connections between the two peoples.
Donor Diplomacy
The German president particularly wanted to highlight the contribution of generations of Turkish immigrants, who have come to Germany to work since the 1960s.
Among those who settled in Germany was the grandfather of Arif Keles, a Berlin kebab restaurant owner who was invited by Steinmeier to join the trip.
The kebab artisan will be serving kebabs to guests at a dinner party in Istanbul on Monday night.
“Spit is traveling with us on the presidential plane,” Kelce told AFP before departing.
This thinly sliced meat dish cooked on a standing barbecue was introduced to Germany by Turkish immigrants.
Stuffed with chopped vegetables and doused with mayonnaise, the kebab has achieved iconic status.
The snack has become “a kind of German national food,” one of Steinmeier’s advisers said in a briefing.
Sales of local kebabs are estimated at 7 billion euros ($7.5 billion) – an immigrant success story that Germany’s president wants to celebrate.
Kebab dealer Keles is the third generation of the family-run business in southwest Berlin.
His grandfather moved to Germany and worked in a factory for many years before opening his own restaurant in 1986.
“Now the president is taking me back to my ancestral home as a grandson,” Kelce said.
“I am extremely honored to have been granted this visit.”
immigration story
The presidential office said Steinmeier’s trip was aimed at highlighting “the personal stories and achievements of four generations of Turkish immigrants” as part of Germany’s history.
About three million people of Turkish descent live in Germany, but their presence is often the subject of fierce debate over divided loyalties.
Just last year, Germany agreed to significantly relax citizenship rules to allow more dual nationals, much to the relief of many Turks who have lived in Germany for decades.
Support for Erdogan among the Turkish diaspora has also drawn ire in Germany, while officials in Berlin have strained relations with Ankara.
Erdogan’s support for Hamas has unsettled Berlin, which has staunchly supported Israel in its war against the Palestinian group.
Last November, shortly after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7 and triggered war, Erdogan and Steinmeier exchanged barbs during a visit to Germany.
The divisions have heightened tensions amid sharp criticism of authoritarian moves in Germany, which German officials say threaten Turkey’s democracy.
Berlin has criticized Erdogan for his crackdown on domestic dissent, while recognizing that keeping regional power Turkey on its side is necessary to resolve thorny issues.
Despite serving as president for seven years, this is Steinmeier’s first visit to Türkiye as head of state.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
