Merkel rejects invitation to state dinner with Erdogan

BERLIN, (Patria) - Several leading German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have rejected an invitation to a state dinner in honor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will be on an official visit to Germany at the end of this week, reports Al Jazeera.

The host of the state dinner, which will be held on Friday, is German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

- The Chancellor's attendance at banquets organized by the President is not a rule - the office of the German President confirmed Spiegel's earlier reporting that the Chancellor would not be at the dinner.

It is stated that the statement adds that the Chancellor "only sometimes" attends ceremonies at the presidential residence, and the last time was during the visit of British Queen Elizabeth II to Berlin in 2015.

Hina reports that numerous German opposition politicians have also canceled their attendance at the ceremony at Bellevue Palace.

It is stated that the leader of the Free Democratic Party, Christian Lindner, told the daily Rheinische Post that he does not want to be part of Erdogan's propaganda.

The leadership of the Green Party rejected the invitation to the banquet and said in a joint statement that they believe a state banquet is not the right way to honor a man who is "destroying the foundations of democracy" in his country.

It is stated that an exception is the former leader of the Greens, Cem Oezdemir, as this politician of Turkish origin, who is considered one of the fiercest critics of the President of Turkey, will still attend the banquet.

- It is completely out of the question that Erdogan is not a normal president and that he does not deserve such a state banquet. But I want the Turkish president to endure me and my criticism of his policies - Oezdemir told Tagesspiegel.

It is stated that the three-day official visit of the Turkish president is overshadowed by tense relations that have prevailed between the two countries for years.

Relations have escalated after Turkey accused Germany of harboring many whom the official Ankara considers responsible for organizing the failed coup in the summer of 2016.