Erdogan starts tour to Europe

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leave the country for a four-day trip that includes Germany and France on Tuesday, Nov 1.

Complying with an invitation from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Erdogan will leave for Germany on Tuesday where he will stay for two days to attend ceremonies marking the 50th year of the emigration of Turkish workers to Germany. He will attend a symposium titled “Germany and Migration: Turks in Germany in its 50th year” in Berlin on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he will deliver a speech with Merkel at a meeting organized by the German Interior Ministry. Five decades have passed since the first Turkish guest workers flocked to Germany to help revive the country’s economy in the aftermath of World War II.

The year 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of an immigration agreement between Turkey and Germany in 1961.

Delegations from the two countries will also hold talks during Erdogan’s visit, which are expected to emphasize the significance of the Turkish community in Germany for German-Turkish relations. Many other pressing issues such as Turkey’s European Union bid as well as the Cyprus issue and recent developments in the North Africa and the Middle East are also expected to be discussed during the talks. Erdogan and his delegation will travel to Cannes late Wednesday to attend the G-20 leaders summit to be held in the city on Thursday and Friday, which aims to build on EU plans to stabilize the eurozone and further boost the global recovery. The summit will focus on Europe’s efforts to contain its sovereign debt crisis and avoid a repeat of the financial shock that roiled markets after the Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008, Today’s Zaman reported.