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In Turkey, how Germany’s president became ‘Germany's imam’

The rampant political paranoia in Turkey is even capable of demonizing German President Joachim Gauck as the “imam” of a treacherous “parallel state.”
Germany's President Joachim Gauck (C) and his partner Daniela Schadt (L) listen to an Imam as they visit the Ottoman-era Sultanahmet mosque, known as Blue mosque, in Istanbul April 29, 2014. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY  - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR3N4QT
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On April 28-29, German President Joachim Gauck paid an official visit to Turkey that became more controversial than expected. The reason is that Gauck, who followed the usual diplomatic routines, criticized the Turkish government on four sensitive issues: its recent bans on social media, tensions with the Constitutional Court, interference with the judiciary and pressure on the media. In response, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Gauck, accusing him of "telling lies." He also criticized him for allegedly "supporting Turkish atheists in Germany" and acting like "he is still a pastor," leaving the connection between atheism and pastorhood murky.

Certain voices in the Turkish media also criticized the German president for his apparently unwelcomed remarks. The most creative punch came from the tabloid Takvim, an unwavering supporter of the government. In a banner headline, Takvim bashed Gauck, bestowing on him the surprising honorific "The imam of Germany!" The logic was that Gauck, being such an outspoken critic of the Turkish government, had acted as if he were a key figure in the Fethullah Gulen movement, the former Erdogan ally that the prime minister recently redefined as public enemy No. 1. "The German president acted like the imam of Germany," Takvim explained, "by supporting the prosecutors and the police of the [Gulen] community."

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