AHEAD of Martin Schulz's talks with the Turkish President tomorrow, here is a look at the outspoken President of the European Parliament.
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Mr Schulz is meeting Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara as the Turkish crackdown continues in the wake of a failed coup.
Earlier this month Mr Schulz warned: “Erdogan's continuous talk of the death penalty only further estranges Turkey from the EU.”
Ahead of the talks tomorrow, here is a look at Mr Schulz's views, his politcial background and where he comes from.
Who is Martin Schulz?
The President of the European Parliament is a forthright politician and one of the leading federalists in the EU.
Mr Schulz, 60, has said it is time for a "genuine European government" to replace the unelected European Commission.
The veteran German politican has also attacked the Conservative Government for leaving everything in “limbo” in the wake of the Brexit vote.
After David Cameroon postponed Article 50, he said the “whole continent is taken hostage because of an internal fight in the Tory party”.
He was also a fierce critic of Mr Cameron’s efforts to reshape Britain’s EU membership and said his demands tested the patience of the EU.
Mr Schulz was first elected as President in 2012 after leading the Social Democrat group in the European Parliament.
Where does Martin Schulz come from?
The politician comes from the Rhineland in Western Germany near the border with the Netherlands and Belgium.
As child he dreamt of becoming a professional footballer but he had two serious knee injuries at the age of 18.
Instead of going to university, he became an apprentice bookseller and went on to run a bookshop.
Mr Schulz entered politics in his thirties and has been an MEP since 1994. He belongs to the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP).
