Erdogan on edge in Berlin following harsh criticism from Israel

No talking to happy people. Leaders will not be seen together in public. There was talk about both Germany and Turkey going to a football match in Berlin together, but it turns out that it’s not happening.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s visit to Germany on Friday for a state visit is very quiet and not getting much attention. He will first meet the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then have dinner with the chancellor, Olaf Scholz.

Two secret meetings and a quiet dinner don’t sound very exciting.

In the middle of the capital, there is very strong security for the visit of Mr. Erdogan, similar to when the US president visits. The German government wants Mr. Erdogan’s visit to not attract much attention.

This event is happening at a really bad time for Germany.

The President of Turkey, Erdogan, has had a hard time getting along with the German government for many years. They often argue with each other. When German government people talk about a “difficult partner,” they mean President Erdogan.

The fighting between Hamas and Israel on 7 October has caused Germany and Turkey to take different sides in the conflict.

In the last month, the President of Turkey has been more and more outspoken in his disapproval of Israel.

He won’t criticize the killings and hostage-taking by Hamas, and he calls them “liberators. ” Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Western countries, like Germany.

He has also seemed to doubt that Israel should exist by saying that Israel’s “own fascism” made it less rightful.

Leaders of the Jewish community in Germany are saying that Mr. Erdogan’s comments are making antisemitism worse. They want the German government to cancel the Turkish president’s visit.

Germany feels responsible for the Holocaust and so they will always support Israel, no matter what. This is really important for their foreign policy.

Both Olaf Scholz and former Chancellor Angela Merkel have said that protecting Israel’s security is very important to Germany. They use the term “reason of state” to show that Germany will always support Israel.

However, as Israel keeps attacking Gaza more and more, and more people are dying, that idea is being tested.

After the surprising Hamas attacks, German newspapers are starting to talk more about the problems facing the people in Gaza. This is making more people in Germany feel worried about what Israel is doing.

In Germany, many people are getting angrier about what Israel is doing, and there have been protests in support of Palestine almost every weekend since October 7th. Germany has many Arab communities who have connections to, or feel sorry for, people in Gaza. Some German left-wing groups have always been very supportive of Palestinians.

There are worries that if President Erdogan talks about the conflict during his visit, it could make the situation worse.

Germany and Turkey rely on each other. Turkey and Germany trade a lot. It also has the biggest group of Turkish people who live away from their homeland, and it’s an important place for President Erdogan’s election campaign. Many German-Turks like him.

About three million people with family roots in Turkey live in Germany, and about half of them have the right to vote. In May, most Turkish voters in Germany voted for Mr. Erdogan in the election.

Berlin needs the help of Turkey to manage the flow of people from the Middle East. Chancellor Scholz wants to make a new agreement with Turkey to send back people seeking asylum and hopes that Turkey will help the West in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

On Friday, the issues will be talked about privately. The German government might worry about what President Erdogan will say in public.

He probably now wishes he hadn’t done it.