German President's 'Kebab Diplomacy': Steinmeier Brings Berlin Chef to Turkey Amid Tensions with Erdogan
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is visiting Turkey for the first time since becoming president, despite a strained relationship with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Steinmeier has criticized Erdogan's approach towards Israel and expressed concerns over democratic norms in Turkey.
To showcase the close personal ties between the two nations, Steinmeier brought a Berlin kebab chef with him as a gesture of goodwill.
A German presidential source revealed that Olaf Scholz's predecessor, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will begin his trip to Turkey in Istanbul instead of Ankara.
In Istanbul, he will meet with civil society activists and Ekrem Imamoglu, the newly re-elected mayor who dealt a blow to President Erdogan in recent local elections.
On Tuesday, Steinmeier will visit earthquake survivors in Gaziantep near the Syrian border.
His talks with Erdogan in Ankara will be postponed until Wednesday.
Instead of flattering Erdogan, Steinmeier aims to focus on the connections between people in both countries.
The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is using a diplomatic trip to Turkey to acknowledge the contributions of Turkish migrants to Germany.
One such migrant is Arif Keles, a Berlin kebab shop owner whose grandfather will travel with Steinmeier to Istanbul to serve doner kebab at a dinner.
The spit for the kebab is being transported on the presidential plane.