Erdogan arrives on official visit to Germany

BERLIN, (Patria) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived on a visit to Germany aimed at reducing tensions between the two NATO allies at a time when Turkey's economic problems are causing increasing concern and when Europe needs Ankara's support in reducing the influx of migrants, Radio Free Europe reports.

World media recall the reasons for the deterioration of relations between them, but also state the reasons that could lead to their eventual improvement, while international organizations are calling for the issue of human rights violations in Turkey to be raised.

The Turkish president's trip is his first formal state visit to Germany, which is home to more than three million people of Turkish origin. However, the increasingly authoritarian Turkish leader is causing distrust across the political spectrum in Germany, which has had problematic relations with Ankara in recent years, Associated Press.

The situation escalated to the point where Erdogan called the leading German parties "enemies of Turkey" and accused officials in Berlin of behaving like Nazis.

At the same time, the two countries recognize common strategic interests, and the two leaders have shown a willingness to bury the hatchet ahead of the visit, which lasts until Saturday, AP expects.

Erdogan will conclude his visit in Cologne, where he will officially open a new mosque built by a group associated with Turkey.

Demonstrations against the Turkish president are expected in both Berlin and Cologne, and Amnesty International has called on Merkel to use her meetings with Erdogan to address the "dramatic human rights situation" in Turkey.