Turks in Berlin hold demo against Turkish premier visit to Germany

Thousands of people have held a demonstration in Berlin to protest against a visit by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to Germany.

The protesters, mostly of Turkish origin, gathered at Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin on Wednesday, holding placards against the policies of the Turkish premier.

Some banners read, ‘Dictator Erdogan,’ ‘Erdogan oppresses minorities’ and ‘Freedom for the media.’

The demonstrators accused Erdogan of oppressing minorities and abusing democracy, saying Turkey should not be allowed to join the European Union because Ankara does not respect human rights.

“We have to protest against Erdogan because journalists, Alevis and others are sitting in prison in Turkey today,” said a demonstrator.

“Turkey wants to join the European Union but it is absolutely not ready to do so because it tramples on people’s freedoms.”

On Wednesday, Erdogan met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and pushed for Turkey’s accession to the European Union by 2023.

Recently, the European Commission and human rights groups have criticized Turkey for infringing the rights of its citizens to liberty, security, and freedom of expression.

Many journalists and activists, lawyers, politicians and military officers, mostly accused of participating in anti-government plots, are imprisoned in Turkey.