Scholz welcomes a 'difficult' guest: Turkey's Erdogan
For a state visit, Friday's visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Germany is remarkably low key. He is first meeting German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then will have dinner with the chancellor, Olaf Scholz. Two meetings behind closed doors and a private dinner hardly speak of fanfare, BBC reports.
Apart from the intense security in the centre of the capital - the same level as precautions taken for US presidential visits — the German government hopes Mr Erdogan's visit will pass with little notice.
That's because this event couldn't come at a worst time for Germany.
Relations between President Erdogan and successive German governments have been difficult for years, with spats between Berlin and Ankara regularly breaking out. When German government spokespeople mention the phrase "difficult partner" you know they're talking about President Erdogan.
But the Hamas atrocities in Israel on 7 October, and Israel's subsequent retaliation in Gaza, have left Germany and Turkey on opposite sides of the conflict.
Over the past month the Turkish president has become increasingly strident in his criticism of Israel.
He has refused to condemn the killings and hostage-taking by Hamas, referring to the group as "liberators". Hamas is classed as a terrorist organisation by Western allies, including Germany.
He has also appeared to call into question the Jewish state's existence by saying that Israel's "own fascism" undermined its legitimacy.
Jewish leaders in Germany have accused Mr Erdogan of fuelling antisemitism with such comments and there have been calls for the German government to cancel the Turkish president's visit.
