A scathing caricature of Turkish President Erdogan angered Ankara. Now Berlin advises all stakeholders to deenergize again. The artist himself, meanwhile, worry about the “humor and irony competence”.

The Turkish president as a chain Dog: This cartoon Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a German schoolbook has angered the Turkish government. The federal government now rejects criticism of the drawing, it is covered by the art and freedom of expression. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said in Berlin on Wednesday: “For politicians composure in dealing with what one do not like this, surely the best approach.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry had assessed the cartoon as evidence of a rise in racism and xenophobia in Germany. Seibert stressed that the Federal Government would not start, individual cartoons “succeeded or failed, or maliciously friendly, funny or unfunny” than to judge.
“We have in this country the full commitment to freedom of the press, freedom of opinion, freedom of art – and that includes a caricature.” In addition, there is said in Baden-Württemberg schoolbook also drawings that are very critical to deal with the behavior of German to foreign citizens: It is worthwhile to see the whole book, Seibert said.

The cartoonist Achim Greser and Heribert Lenz give puzzled by the criticism from Turkey: Actually show the cartoon a positive example of successful integration, Lenz said. “People who misinterpret the have not understood the real joke.”

Originally, the cartoon was published in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” in 2011 already. It shows two men in Bavarian dress in front of a mountain hut called “Üzrüms Alpenglück”. The smokes a hookah, the other seems the food to be too spicy. But Turkey objected primarily a snarling dog chained in the background. On his doghouse is “Erdogan”.

The Turkish newspaper “Milliyet” published the cartoon on Monday again on the Internet. As the Germany edition of the newspaper “Hurriyet” reported that the drawing had noticed the daughters of a living in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance Turks. After becoming aware of the controversy it has been shared on social networks in the past few days again.

That they trigger such a debate, it was not intended, according to Lenz time. “So that no one expected, certainly do not now.” In a commentary in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” wrote the artist: “humor and irony competence are unfortunately in decline.”

The controversial book is taught in high schools in the subjects of civics and economics. About two dozen people demonstrated on Wednesday in front of the Ministry of Culture in Stuttgart, which had approved the use of the drawing.

The Westermann educational publisher said in a statement: Students should learn to make their own judgment. “Who is the comparison of politicians with guard dogs inappropriate, can and should express that, who considers it reasonable, as well.” In addition, the cartoon could “be interpreted rather than integration reinforcing than vice versa.”

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