BERLIN (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is heading to Germany for a visit aimed at reducing tensions between the two NATO allies at a time when Turkey's economic troubles are causing growing concerns and Europe needs Ankara's support in reducing the flow of migrants.
The trip, which runs Thursday to Saturday, is Erdogan's first formal state visit to Germany, where the increasingly authoritarian leader is viewed with suspicion across the political spectrum.
In the past year, acrimony rose to a level where Erdogan accused German officials of acting like Nazis, prompting Chancellor Angela Merkel to condemn the Turkish president's words.
Erdogan walked back the rhetoric in an opinion piece in Thursday's FAZ newspaper, saying it was time to "set aside our differences of opinion and concentrate on our joint interests."
