Kebab chef joins German president on awkward visit to Türkiye

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier begins a sensitive visit to Turkey on Monday, taking with him a Berlin kebab chef, a sign of close personal ties between the two nations despite differences with his Turkish counterpart.

Steinmeier, who is visiting Turkey for the first time since becoming president, has a difficult relationship with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The German head of state was quick to denounce Erdogan's approach towards Israel and has already expressed concerns about the erosion of democratic standards in Turkey.

The fact that he is not starting his trip in the capital Ankara “is a signal”, said a source at the German presidency on condition of anonymity.

Steinmeier's first stop will be Istanbul, where he will meet civil society activists, as well as the city's mayor, opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu.

Voters' decision to reappoint Imamoglu as mayor in recent local elections dealt a blow to Erdogan and his ruling party.

On Tuesday, Steinmeier will meet with survivors of the devastating 2023 earthquake in Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.

Talks with Erdogan in Ankara will wait until Wednesday.

Instead of flattering the president, Steinmeier hopes to emphasize the ties between the people of the two countries.

– Donor diplomacy –

The German president hopes in particular to highlight the contribution of generations of Turkish migrants who have come to work in Germany since the 1960s.

Among those who settled in Germany was Arif Keles' grandfather, a Berlin kebab shop owner who was invited on the trip by Steinmeier.

The grilled meat artisan will serve doner kebab to guests at a dinner in Istanbul on Monday evening.

“The brooch travels with us on the presidential plane,” Keles told AFP before the trip.

The dish of thinly sliced ​​meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie was introduced to Germany by Turkish migrants.

Filled with chopped vegetables and drizzled with mayonnaise, the doner kebab has gained iconic status.

The snack has become “a kind of German national food,” one of Steinmeier's advisers said at a press briefing.

Local kebab sales amount to seven billion euros, an immigrant success story that the German presidency wants to celebrate.

Doner merchant Keles is the third generation to run the family business in southwest Berlin.

His grandfather moved to Germany and worked in a factory for years before opening his own restaurant in 1986.

“Now the president is taking me as a grandson to my ancestral house,” Keles said.

“I consider it a great honor to be allowed to make this visit.”

– Immigrant stories –

Steinmeier's trip was intended to highlight that “the personal stories and achievements of four generations of Turkish immigrants” are part of Germany's history, the presidential office said.

Around three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, but their presence has often been the subject of tense debate over divided loyalties.

Only last year did Germany agree to significantly relax citizenship rules to allow more dual nationals, a relief for many Turks who have lived in Germany for decades.

Perceived support for Erdogan among the Turkish diaspora has also caused irritation in Germany, while Berlin officials have strained relations with Ankara.

Erdogan's support for Hamas has troubled Berlin, which strongly backs Israel in the war against the Palestinian militant group.

Erdogan exchanged barbs with Steinmeier during a visit to Germany in November last year, shortly after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 that sparked the war.

The disagreement has added to tensions over Germany's harsh criticism of authoritarian measures that German officials see as a threat to democracy in Turkey.

Berlin has criticized Erdogan's crackdown on domestic dissent, while acknowledging the need to rally Turkey's regional power to resolve thorny issues.

Although he has been president for seven years, this is Steinmeier's first visit to Turkey as head of state.

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