5/21/2014 Erdogan visit polarizes Germany' s Turks | Germany | DW.DE | 20.05.

2014
http://www.dw.de/erdogan-visit-polarizes-germanys-turks/a-17646964 1/4
Erdogan's first Soma-related comments were criticized
as callous
BILATERAL RELATIONS
Erdogan visit polarizes Germany's Turks
German politicians of all stripes have spoken out against Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
upcoming visit to Cologne. Germany's large Turkish minority is split on whether to
embrace him or take to the streets in protest.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is undaunted: Despite more than 300 dead in the Soma mine accident and
several unfortunate public appearances, Turkey's prime minister plans to board a plane to Germany in
just a few days for an unofficial campaign appearance before thousands of enthusiastic, flag-waving
expatriates.
The notion is almost unbearable for many German politicians. Rarely have so many representatives of
so many different parties commented on the visit of a foreign leader - and rarely has there been so
much agreement.
Erdogan cannot be allowed to move his election campaign battles to Germany, CSU Secretary General
Andreas Scheuer told Spiegel Online. Guntram Schneider, integration minister in the state of North
Rhine-Westphalia, took an even more drastic view in the Westdeutsche Allgemeine newspaper, calling
Erdogan's planned appearance a "misuse of the right to hospitality" in Germany.
Fishing for votes
Erdogan's AKP party, on the other hand, maintains that the event on Saturday (24.05.2014) in
Cologne is no election campaign stop, but a visit to honor the 10th anniversary of the Union of
European Turkish Democrats (UETD).
But many see a different reason for the event in
Cologne's largest venue with the capacity to seat
almost 20,000: Turkey holds presidential
elections in August. Erdogan has yet to officially
announce his candidacy, but many expect he
will in fact toss his hat in the ring.
And this time, courting Turkish nationals that
live abroad is well worth the prime minister's
efforts: for the first time, they will be allowed to
TOPSTORIES / GERMANY
5/21/2014 Erdogan visit polarizes Germany' s Turks | Germany | DW.DE | 20.05.2014
http://www.dw.de/erdogan-visit-polarizes-germanys-turks/a-17646964 2/4
German SPD parliamentarian Lale
Akgn says Erdogan is looking for
support
Gkay Sofuoglu views the visit as a disruption to
Turkish unity in Germany
vote with mail-in ballots without having to
travel to Turkey.
About 1.5 million Turks in Germany are eligible to vote - votes Erdogan urgently needs if he wants to
be president. He needs about five percent more votes than his party garnered in municipal elections in
March.
Skilled agitator
This isn't the first time a planned appearance by the Turkish prime minister in Germany made waves.
There was also quite some criticism ahead of his 2008 visit. Many German politicians were indignant
when Erdogan called the "assimilation" of migrants a "crime against humanity." But he was highly
praised at home and among the expatriate community in Germany for his comments.
Erdogan uses attention-grabbing mega appearances and provocative theories to make it clear that he
sees himself not only as head of government for the Turks in his country but as a representative for
the interests of Turks living in Germany.
In order to organize Turkish expatriates in Germany, the
government in Ankara created the Agency for Expatriate Turks
(YTB). The staff was trained to prepare the Turkish diaspora for
alleged "suppression" abroad - that's how seriously the prime
minister takes Turkish expatriates.
Social Democrat Lale Akgn, herself of Turkish ancestry, also
believes Erdogan's appearance is of a domestic bent.
"He needs some good press after his relatively poor showing in
Turkey," she told WDR, a German public broadcaster headquartered
in Cologne. "His supporters in Germany - the Union of European
Turkish Democrats - will make sure he receives a nice welcome and is celebrated grandly. These
images aren't important for Germany - these images are important for Turkey," she said.
Fans vs. critics
But just like back home, the Turkish prime minister is also controversial in Germany. The Alevi
community, a minority group in Turkey critical of Erdogan and his governing AKP party, has called
for a demonstration in Cologne in opposition to Erdogan's visit. Under the motto of "We say no to
Erdogan," supporters of the religious and cultural minority plan to protest the visit in Cologne's city
center. Erdogan, they say, is interfering with domestic German affairs and provoking those in
Germany with Turkish origins.
For many, the polarization of German Turks is
a source of concern. They worry that the
controversial prime minister, with his
provocative words, could transport domestic
rifts into Germany - thereby impeding the daily
life and successful integration of Turks living in
Germany. Gkay Sofuoglu, the new head of the
"Turkish Community in Germany"
organization, views things similarly.
"Such a speech causes a lot of difficulties for us,
of course, because we then turn away from our
real issues and suddenly have to deal with Turkish political disputes," he told DW.
A futile boycott?
Julia Klckner is the deputy chair of Germany's Christian Democratic Union and has called for Turks
to boycott the Saturday visit.
"I only wish that as many Turks who live here as possible show, through their absence, that they don't
agree with his current actions in Turkey," she told the German weekly "Welt am Sonntag."
5/21/2014 Erdogan visit polarizes Germany' s Turks | Germany | DW.DE | 20.05.2014
http://www.dw.de/erdogan-visit-polarizes-germanys-turks/a-17646964 3/4
Date 20.05.2014
Author Jeanette Seiffert / db, cd
Editor Gregg Benzow
Keywords Erdogan, Germany, Turkish community, Alevi, protests, zdemir
Share Send Facebook Twitter Google+ More
Feedback: Send us an e-mail. Please include your name and country in your reply.
Print Print this page
Permalink http://dw.de/p/1C2mS
Germany urges restraint
ahead of Erdogan's
planned speech in Cologne
Opinion: The divider from
Turkey 20.05.2014
Criticism surrounding the Turkish
Erdogan in Germany:
cherished and controversial
30.03.2014
RELATED CONTENT
B ut her appeals, says German Green Party politician Cem zdemir, will have little effect.
"The people who are against him are going to be against him anyway," he told German public radio
broadcaster Deutschlandfunk. "And those who idolize him will continue to be his fans, and will now,
more than ever, probably make a pilgrimage there."
The Green politician added that he blames Germany's conservative politicians for the conflict
surrounding Erdogan's visit. Their refusal to change citizenship laws have contributed to Turks not
becoming German, he says, making them feel like foreigners. "Now they're turning to Ankara," he
said.
DW.DE
Opinion: The divider from Turkey
Criticism surrounding the Turkish prime minister's planned appearance in Germany has been hefty - and rightly
so. The event will be damaging to integration and only in Erdogan's interest, writes DW's Christoph Strack.
(20.05.2014)
Opinion: Erdogan is beyond the pale
In his public appearances, Prime Minister Erdogan is losing the self-control that his office demands. The protests
against him are getting louder - and yet he will still be elected president, says DW's Baha Gngr. (15.05.2014)
Erdogan stands firm and looks toward elections
Corruption allegations, Internet censorship, attacks on protestors: One year after the Gezi Park protests began,
Erdogan and his party face massive criticism. But remains in firm control of Turkey. (18.05.2014)
#Soma social media finds 'cracks in the divide'
Turkish officials are committing violence on camera, but Erdogan supporters don't always see it. The Soma
tragedy is just beginning to bridge the digital media gap, says blogger and communications professor Erkan Saka.
(16.05.2014)
Turkish government softens stance on mine disaster
At first, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed reluctant to take steps to pacify protesters, but
now, with his presidential candidacy in the picture, he appears to have slightly changed course. (18.05.2014)
Germany urges restraint ahead of Erdogan's planned speech in Cologne
The German government has urged Turkeys prime minister to exercise restraint when he visits the country on
the weekend. This followed calls from some German politicians for Recep Tayyip Erdogan to cancel his visit.
(19.05.2014)
5/21/2014 Erdogan visit polarizes Germany' s Turks | Germany | DW.DE | 20.05.2014
http://www.dw.de/erdogan-visit-polarizes-germanys-turks/a-17646964 4/4
19.05.2014
The German government has urged
Turkeys prime minister to
exercise restraint when he visits
the country on the weekend. This
followed calls from some German
politicians for Recep Tayyip
Erdogan to cancel his visit.
prime minister's planned
appearance in Germany has been
hefty - and rightly so. The event
will be damaging to integration and
only in Erdogan's interest, writes
DW's Christoph Strack.
Gezi Park protests, corruption
allegations, YouTube censorship:
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's
image in Germany has been
tarnished by several scandals. But
German-Turks may still be
important to him this summer.
World expects more of
German foreign policy
20.05.2014
What does the world expect of
Germany? As Foreign Minister
Steinmeier addresses foreign
policy goals, international
audiences offer DW their views.
The responses differ from those
Germans gave in a similar poll.
Defending Germanys
midwives 20.05.2014
There are 21,000 midwives in
Germany, but the profession is
under threat due to rapidly
increasing insurance costs. One
young German mother is
determined to rescue her country's
midwives.
Foreign policy: thinking
ahead 19.05.2014
"What does the world expect of
Germany?" Foreign Minister
Frank-Walter Steinmeier will
discuss this question with
international guests in a new series
that DW will broadcast on TV and
as a livestream on the Internet.
MORE CONTENT