Discussions broke out in Germany ahead of Erdogan’s visit to Berlin

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Berlin this week is causing controversy in Germany.

The German government had announced that Prime Minister Olaf Scholz would invite Erdogan to dinner on November 17, and that Erdogan would meet his counterpart Walter Steinmeier before the dinner. During the talks, tensions in the Middle East, NATO and migration issues are expected to be discussed.

Before the visit, Erdoğan’s statement that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but a liberation group and mujahideen” generated much debate in Germany.

Michael Roth, chairman of the German Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said Erdogan caused serious damage to Turkey with his “provocative and populist” behavior. Noting that Erdoğan’s rhetoric did not do justice to Turkey’s importance as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East, Roth said: “Ultimately, his defense of Hamas terrorism fueled the fire of an extremely dangerous conflict.”

CRITICISM AGAINST DİTİB IS GROWING

On the other hand, criticism against the Turkish-Islamic Union of Religious Affairs (DİTİB) in Germany increases before the visit. Approximately 1,000 imams working under the umbrella organization DİTİB in Germany are appointed by Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs.

According to Deutsche Welle, Karin Prien, Minister of Education of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein and spokesperson for the Jewish Forum of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), stated that Germany does not need religious representations managed from abroad and that do not recognize laws and regulations in Germany.

Sandra Bubendorfer-Licht, religious policy spokesperson for the Free Democratic Party (FDP), stated in her statement to Welt am Sonntag that cooperation between schools and DİTİB regarding religious lessons should “end immediately.”

German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir said that religious structures independent of Turkey are needed in Germany.

Gökay Sofuoğlu, president of the Turkish Community in Germany (TGD), stated in his statement to the news site Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) that there may be harsh reactions from society to the president’s visit to Germany and said: “There will be reactions against his statements on Hamas and other issues. “I suppose there may be demonstrations,” he said.