German president in Istanbul on first leg of 3-day Türkiye visit

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on April 22 arrived in Istanbul as he embarked on a three-day tour to Türkiye, marking his first visit to the country in his seven-year duty as the head of the state.

Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, German Ambassador to Ankara Jürgen Schulz and Turkish Ambassador to Berlin Ahmet Başar Şen welcomed Steinmeier at Istanbul Airport.

His first stop in Türkiye is set to be Sirkeci Station, which is expected to witness a ceremony in tribute to the first Turkish workers embarking on trains bound for Germany.

In 1961, in the midst of an economic boom that resulted in a significant labor shortage, Germany signed a bilateral agreement with Türkiye to allow German companies to recruit Turkish workers.

Steinmeier's trip was meant to underline that "the personal stories and achievements of four generations of Turkish immigrants" are part of Germany's history, the presidential office said. Around 3 million Turkish-origin people still live in Germany.

He is scheduled to meet with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The German president joined a boat trip with representatives of German companies operating in Türkiye as they discussed the economic relations between the two nations.

Steinmeier also took a Berlin döner chef with him. The grilled meat artisan will serve döner kebab to guests at a dinner in Istanbul on April 22 night.

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

On the second day of his visit, Steinmeier will travel to the southern province of Gaziantep to pay a visit to a temporary residential center for earthquake survivors and a school whose construction was funded by the German government. His office...