Germany's President takes 'kebab diplomacy' to Turkey in a historic visit

The President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, recently visited Turkey, during which he is scheduled to meet with, among others, Recep Erdoğan. Steinmeier has brought with him an unexpected gift for the journey.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier's three-day trip to Turkey began on Monday, with his first stop being in Istanbul. There, in the city that straddles the Bosporus, he met with Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Additionally, his itinerary includes a planned meeting with the President of Turkey, Recep Erdoğan.

The discussions are expected to cover various topics, including the centenary celebration of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries. To mark this occasion, a ceremonial dinner will be held where the "national dish of Germany" will be served, as reported by "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung".

So, what is this dish? Surprisingly, it's a kebab. Among the official German delegation members is Arif Kales, who owns a popular fast-food outlet in Berlin. Kales represents the third generation of a Turkish family that sells kebabs in Germany's capital. Steinmeier highlighted the entrepreneur as a testament to successful Turkish immigration to Germany.

For this state visit, 132 pounds of deep-frozen kebab meat were loaded onto the German aircraft. "Someone from the president's office called me, dropped in for a coffee, and shared the idea of taking me on a state visit. I thought: what an honour," Keles shared with the magazine "Stern" before their departure.

Upon arriving, Keles headed to the residence of the German ambassador to prepare his signature dish for the guests. He also brought original sauces, noting that kebabs are served differently in Turkey than in Germany.

This culinary diplomacy has been dubbed "kebab diplomacy" by one of the Turkish online portals.