Erdogan attends former German Chancellor Schroeder's birthday party

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the weekend attended the 65th birthday party of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Hannover. Schroeder served as chancellor from 1998 to 2005. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Erdogan called Schroeder a friend and praised his contributions to Turkish-German relations and Ankara's European Union accession bid. Urging Berlin to ease visa requirements for Turks coming to Germany to do business, Erdogan said that visa problems were hurting bilateral trade. Referring to arson attacks on houses of Turks living in Germany, Erdogan said these should not go unpunished, urging the German government to investigate them and bring the guilty to justice. Asked about talks between Turkey and Armenia towards normalized relations, Erdogan said, "A decision to open the border gate with Armenia will depend on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue being solved. If the Armenian occupation of Azeri territory continues, Turkey will not open its border gate." Erdogan also criticized the EU's Cyprus policy, saying that the Union made a grave mistake by admitting Greek Cyprus without solving the Cyrus issue, and cited how in 2004 the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) accepted a UN plan to solve the issue but the Greek Cypriots rejected it. Erdogan also met with representatives of Turkish non-governmental organizations in Hannover. During the meeting, Erdogan called on German citizens of Turkish descent to vote in the German general elections this September. "All German citizens of Turkish descent should vote in the elections," he said. "You need to show your determination. And NGOs should mobilize to get people to the polls." He added, "There are nearly 70,000 Turkish employers in Germany. Their investments total €7.5 billion, and they have annual sales of €33 billion. They employ 33,000 people in their companies. We are proud of them." Erdogan also urged young Turks living in Germany to become German citizens to guarantee their social and political rights and to actively participate in all areas of social life. "You should learn German well and also preserve your native language and culture," Erdogan added.