Erdogan plans state visit to Germany

>> BERLIN: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will pay a state visit to Germany, probably around late September, German newspaper Bild reported yesterday, citing government sources in Berlin and Ankara.

It would be Mr Erdogan’s first official visit to Germany since 2014, and his first since taking over the Turkish presidency, the mass-circulation daily said.

Plans for the visit reflect efforts to rebuild relations between Germany and Turkey after ties soured in a series of disputes over Turkey’s detention of German citizens and journalists.

A state visit includes a reception by the German president with military honours and a formal state banquet.

No immediate comment was available from the German or Turkish governments.

Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in January said he had agreed with his counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to do everything possible to improve ties between the Nato allies and trading partners.

German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, who works for the publisher of Bild, was released in February after being held for a year on alleged security offences.

His release removed a key irritant in ties between the two allies, but German officials remain deeply concerned about Turkey’s deteriorating record on human rights and freedoms.

Another German national was arrested in southeastern Turkey this week accused of spreading propaganda for Turkish militants, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday.