state visit
Erdogan’s visit to Berlin – large-scale police operation
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is coming to Germany on Friday (November 17th). photo
© Pavel Golovkin/AP/dpa
The police are called upon to visit endangered heads of state and government in Berlin. This applies to US presidents, Russian and Israeli heads of government – and also to the Turkish president.
“The Berlin police are experienced in dealing with complex operational situations, including visits by heads of state,” it said. The security precautions are focused on preparing for the upcoming situation. Erdogan will meet Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier early on Friday afternoon and then Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). The exact time of his departure was not yet known.
Further measures are still unclear
It is expected that the police will issue an order for the government district on Friday, according to which the parking of cars and bicycles will be prohibited. It was not initially known whether, as was the case during the state visit in 2018, snipers will be posted on roofs, sniffer dogs will search for explosives, police boats will drive up and down the Spree and the airspace will be closed.
In 2018, Erdogan stayed at the Hotel Adlon at the Brandenburg Gate during his three-day visit. More than 4,000 police officers were on duty and a state of emergency prevailed in the government district. The police spoke of “restrictions on land, at sea and in the air”. Heavily armed police patrolled between the Chancellery and Adlon, and armored vehicles could be seen. The measures were comparable to those carried out two years earlier during the farewell visit of US President Barack Obama.
This year the police operation will continue on Saturday. Thousands of Kurds want to demonstrate at midday for the banned PKK workers’ party and against Erdogan’s policies. In the evening, Germany plays against Turkey in a football friendly at the Olympic Stadium.