Police confiscate banner at demonstration against Erdogan
During a demonstration at the Berlin Chancellery against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the police confiscated a banner with the inscription "No red carpet for the Islamist Erdogan". This was confirmed by the police on request. According to a police spokesperson, the officers suspected that the banner could constitute an insult. The spokesman for the organizing Society for Threatened Peoples saw this as an attempt at intimidation and as proof that Turkish policy was restricting freedom of expression in this case.
After a brief consultation with the public prosecutor's office, the poster was handed back in the evening, the spokesman explained. At first glance, it did not appear to constitute a criminal offense.
The Turkish President was received at Bellevue Palace on Friday afternoon by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, among others. Steinmeier and Erdogan greeted each other with a handshake. Erdogan's first visit to Germany in almost four years is scheduled to end in the evening. Until then, he wants to meet Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for dinner.
Despite the prior confiscation of a provocative banner at the demonstration, diplomatic talks between Turkish President Erdogan and German officials, including a meeting with Federal President Steinmeier and potential discussions with Chancellor Scholz, continued without interruption. In light of ongoing diplomatic efforts, it was crucial for both sides to maintain a atmosphere of respect and understanding, utilizing diplomacy to navigate potential disputes arising from the demonstrations.
Source: www.dpa.com
