BERLIN
Germany is unconcerned over the Turkish prime minister’s visit and address to his supporters in Cologne, according to Steffen Seibert, Germany’s government spokesperson.
“We are absolutely sure that the Prime Minister is aware of the sensitivity and responsibility of the current situation and that he will act accordingly,” Seibert said during a press conference in Berlin.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s scheduled visit has sparked debate among rival groups and politicians in Germany, with some calling for the visit to be cancelled as it could lead to new divisions and tensions among immigrants in Germany.
The European Federation of Alevi Communities, which has long been critical of Erdogan’s policies, has announced a mass rally in Cologne’s Ebertplatz 3km’s away from the congress center where Erdogan is due to speak.
The anti-immigrant PRO NRW party has also announced a protest to be carried out at the Deutz Train Station 800 meters away from the congress center.
Cologne police department spokesman Andre Fassbender told the Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that the police would take all measures to prevent any possible problems between the groups.
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