File photo
More than half of Germans think Europe can defend itself without military backing from the United States, a poll showed on Monday, less than two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump said he could withdraw support.
Only 37 percent of respondents said they believed Europe depended on U.S. military help, the Forsa poll showed.
The survey found no significant difference between eastern German regions and western areas, which have stronger historical ties to the United States. In the east, 60 percent thought Europe did not need Washington, and in the west, 55 percent.
German soccer player Mesut Özil's decision to quit the national team due to "racism and disrespect" he faced over his Turkish roots threw a spotlight on Monday on the country's relations with its largest immigrant community.The most prominent German politician of Turkish origin said it would be difficult for the head of the national soccer association to stay in the role, adding that Özil's departure would only be welcomed by those who opposed diversity.Özil's announcement on social media late on Sunday lead national newspapers to clear their front pages for the midfielder, 29, a key member of Germany's World Cup-winning side in 2014 - and also of the side eliminated at the group stage of the 2018 tournament in Russia.Video: Mesut Özil slams Germany for ‘racism and disrespect’, quits national teamTurks well integrated in Germany, govt says after Özil's racism commentsThe player, who faced a barrage of criticism for having his photograph taken with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in May, was especially piqued by criticism from German Football Association (DFB) head Reinhard Grindel, who he said blamed him for Germany crashing out of this year's tournament.Cem Özdemir, the former head of the Greens party and the most prominent politician of Turkish background, said it would be difficult for Grindel to do his job in future given the diverse reality of Germany and its soccer team."It will be very hard for Grindel after this," he told Deutschlandfunk radio. "He doesn't reflect the breadth of football in Germany and so it will be hard for German Turks, or indeed German Croats, to feel that the DFB is theirs."Bayern Munich head on Özil quitting German team: ‘Nightmare is over’Former DFB President Theo Zwanziger was quoted in German media as saying the DFB had not done enough to solve conflicts ahead of the World Cup."Communication mistakes mean something happened that should never happen to migrants: They should never feel like second-class Germans," he said, adding: "Özil's resignation is a major setback for integration efforts beyond football in our country."A spokeswoman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that that the majority of the roughly 3 million people with Turkish roots who live in Germany were well-integrated.She also said people with migrant backgrounds were welcome in Germany and added that the German chancellor valued Özil.The row comes amid a political debate in Germany about an influx of 1.6 million migrants since mid-2014 that has seen a rise of the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at the expense of traditional parties.Citing 'racism', soccer star Mesut Özil quits German teamIt also exposed differences of opinion over the country's large and well-established Turkish community.Just as 2014's victorious German side was celebrated for its diversity, so too was France's World Cup-winning team in 2018 for having numerous key players with African ethnic roots.CRITICISM AND PRAISEBut the mass-selling newspaper Bild accused Özil of "pure self-pity" and its editor highlighted his decision to post in English, accusing him of trying to maximise his audience.Alice Weidel, leader of the AfD, wrote that: "The integration dream doesn't work even with football millionaires," describing Özil's "tirade" as a "typical example of failed integration".In Turkey, however, politicians heaped praise on the player and lashed out at those who had abused him."We support from the heart the honourable stance which our brother Mesut Özil has displayed," Turkish Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu wrote on Twitter on Sunday night."What Mesut Özil went through and how he was treated is unforgivable. There is NO excuse for racism and discrimination," Gülnur Aybet, a senior adviser to President Tayyip Erdoğan wrote on her Twitter account.Erdoğan's spokesman İbrahim Kalın wrote on Twitter on Sunday after Özil released his statement:"An extremely accomplished footballer provides a perfectly reasonable explanation for meeting with President Erdoğan. But imagine the pressure under which he felt compelled to make this statement. What a pity for those who claim to be tolerant and multiculturalist!"
Özil departure puts focus on German relations with Turkish community
Trump gave an ultimatum to European allies on July 12, warning a NATO summit the United States could withdraw its support if Europe did not share more of what he called an unfair burden on U.S. taxpayers in funding the alliance.
In a rebuke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he also called Germany a "captive" of Moscow because, he said, Berlin supported a Baltic Sea gas pipeline from Russia.
About 84 percent of respondents said Trump's comments about Russia controlling Germany were "completely absurd", according to the poll which surveyed 1,004 Germans.
Even more - 92 percent - said they suspected that Trump's motive for making the comments was primarily to promote the sale of U.S. liquefied gas in Europe and Germany.
Two thirds said they supported the construction of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline because it would help provide Germany with a more reliable supply of natural gas.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will not arrive in the United States for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump with a specific trade offer, the Commission said on Monday.Juncker will travel to Washington on Wednesday for talks focused on trade tensions after the U.S. imposition of tariffs on EU steel and aluminium and Trump's threats to extend those measures to European cars.Trump's top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, has said he expected Juncker to come with a "significant" trade offer, but the Commission on Monday that would not happen."I do not wish to enter into a discussion about mandates, offers because there are no offers. This is a discussion, it is a dialogue and it is an opportunity to talk and to stay engaged in dialogue," Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a news conference.Jeremy Hunt warns of no-deal Brexit riskTrump has repeatedly complained about the European Union, pointing to the higher duties it applies for car imports and describing the bloc as a "foe" in trade.EU officials have said that, while EU import duties for cars are heavier than those of the United States, for other products, such as trucks, U.S. rates are higher. They also say cutting duties for cars could only be part of a broader trade deal.European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, who will accompany Juncker, said last week that the European Union was preparing a list of U.S. products to hit if the United States imposed tariffs on EU cars.Schinas said Juncker was "very prepared" to set out European arguments."This is an occasion to de-dramatise any potential tensions around trade and to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with our American partners," he said. 
EU's Juncker will not bring offer to Trump trade talks
U.S. President Donald Trump told Iran it risked dire consequences "the like of which few throughout history have suffered before" if the Islamic Republic made more threats against the United States.His words, spelled out in capital letters in a late night Twitter message, came hours after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told Trump that hostile policies toward Tehran could lead to "the mother of all wars."Despite the heightened rhetoric, both sides have reasons to want to avoid starting a conflict that could easily escalate.Trump's comments come in the context of a barrage of speeches and online communications meant to foment unrest and pressure Iran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups, according to U.S. officials.Iran has faced increased U.S. pressure and possible sanctions since Trump's decision in May to withdraw the United States from a 2015 international agreement over Iran's nuclear program.In his message directed at Rouhani, Trump wrote: "Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before. We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence & death. Be cautious!".Earlier on Sunday, Rouhani had told a gathering of Iranian diplomats: "Mr Trump, don't play with the lion's tail, this would only lead to regret.""America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars," said Rouhani, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.Rouhani left open the possibility of peace between the two countries, at odds since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. But Iran's most powerful authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday negotiations with the United States would be an "obvious mistake".To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 23 Temmuz 2018 Rouhani also scoffed at Trump's threat to halt Iranian oil exports and said Iran has a dominant position in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping waterway.A senior commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards reacted angrily to Trump's threats by saying Tehran would continue to resist its enemies, Iran's Students news Agency ISNA reported."We will never abandon our revolutionary beliefs ... we will resist pressure from enemies ... America wants nothing less than (to) destroy Iran ... (but) Trump cannot do a damn thing against Iran," Brigadier General Gholamhossein Gheybparvar said.White House national security adviser John Bolton, who has in the past called for air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, said :"President Trump told me that if Iran does anything at all to the negative, they will pay a price like few countries have ever paid before", according to a White House statement.Iran slams Pompeo's 'mafia' remark as 'hypocritical, absurd'Trump says he 'gave up nothing' at Putin meetingWar of WordsTrump's threat to Iran came hours after a speech by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who denounced Iran's clerical leadership as a "mafia" and promised unspecified backing for Iranians unhappy with their government.Tehran reacted to Pompeo's speech as an interference in Tehran's affairs, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported."Such policies will unite Iranians who will overcome plots against their country," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is bitterly opposed to Iran, praised Trump's "strong stance" on Tehran.At the same time, Germany said threats of war were "never helpful".There is limited appetite in Washington for a conflict with Iran, not least because of the difficulties the U.S. military faced in Iraq after its 2003 invasion but also because of the impact on the global economy if conflict raised oil prices.Many ordinary Iranians are worried that the war of words might lead to a military confrontation but insiders in Tehran told Reuters that the U.S. administration would not drag the country into another quagmire in the Middle East.With popular discontent over Iran’s faltering economy and sliding currency, and the prospect of tough new U.S. sanctions, Iran's leaders have called for unity.Iran will resist Trump's 'psychological warfare,' says senior Guards commanderMany ordinary Iranians are largely skeptical of the Trump administration's support for Iranian citizens because of the harsh U.S. sanctions on the country and a visa ban imposed on Iranians barring them from entering the United States.While Washington prepares to reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran after pulling out of the nuclear deal, Iran's faction-ridden religious and political elites have closed ranks against Trump's hawkish approach to Tehran.However, growing strains with the U.S. will eventually boost Rouhani's anti-Western hardline rivals who fear losing power if the nuclear deal, championed by Rouhani, ended the country’s political and economic isolation.Rouhani's apparent threat earlier this month to disrupt oil shipments from neighboring countries came in reaction to efforts by Washington to force all countries to stop buying Iranian oil.Washington initially planned to shut Iran out of global oil markets completely after Trump abandoned the deal that limited Iran's nuclear ambitions, demanding all other countries stop buying Iranian crude by November.But the United States has somewhat eased its stance, saying it may grant sanction waivers to some allies that are particularly reliant on Iranian supplies. 
Trump warns Iran to 'never, ever threaten' US or suffer consequences