Erdogan arrives in Berlin amid loud protests

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Germany on Thursday for a controversial three-day state visit that both sides hope will help rebuild relations that have been battered in recent years.

Ties between the Nato allies plummeted after Erdogan’s government arrested tens of thousands of people in a mass purge following a 2016 putsch attempt, including some who were also German nationals.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country is home to 3-million Turks, has repeatedly stressed the importance of good relations with Ankara, a partner she relies on to help stem the flow of migrants arriving on European shores.

The shadow of football looms large over the visit. Turkey and Germany have been locked in a bitter contest to host the Euro 2024 tournament, with Germany announced as the winner hours after Erdogan’s arrival.

Security was tight in the German capital, where Erdogan was to be greeted outside Tegel Airport by a group of media freedom protesters of Reporters Without Borders.

Thousands of Erdogan critics have vowed to take to the streets in Berlin and across Germany to protest against everything from Turkey’s record on human rights to its offensive against Kurdish militia in Syria.

Erdogan has said he would use the visit to improve ties and to press Germany to step up the fight against “terrorist groups” such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the movement of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, blamed for the failed coup.

Berlin and Ankara have been at pains to rebuild relations at a time when Erdogan is openly sparring with US President Donald Trump and the Turkish economy is in rapid decline.

The gradual rapprochement began after German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel was freed in February, while journalist Mesale Tolu was also allowed to return to Germany in August. Both still face terror-related charges in Turkey.

German President FrankWalter Steinmeier will welcome Erdogan — on his first official visit to Germany since becoming president in 2014 — with military honours and a state dinner at Bellevue Palace on Friday — which several opposition politicians have vowed to boycott.

He will twice meet Merkel for talks that are also expected to focus on the Syria conflict. On Saturday, Erdogan will travel to Cologne to open one of Europe’s largest mosques.

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