Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has arrived in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, on an official diplomatic visit.

Relations between the two countries are strained, principally because of mutual disagreements over Turkey's ongoing bid for accession to the European Union.

Whereas Ankara has always insisted on full membership of the EU, Merkel has led those heads of state who take a more cautious view, preferring instead to speak of establishing a "privileged partnership" that falls short of full accession.

Chancellor Merkel has stressed that she does see integration as possible in up to 28 of the 35 so-called chapters of EU law with which Turkey has to comply before it can become a full member of the union.

But her partnership proposal has been firmly rejected by the Turkish government as a breach of the terms agreed when membership negotiations began five years ago.

"Such a thing as privileged partnership does not exist," Egemen Bagis, Turkey's Minister for European Affairs, has publicly stated.

"So we do not take that option seriously because there is no legal foundation for it. At times I feel insulted for being offered something which does not exist."

There are also disagreements about the education of Turkish children in Germany in the Turkish language. Turkish PM Recep Erdogan also recently called for Turks living in Germany not to allow themselves to be integrated.

Other contentious topics during Merkel's two-day visit  are expected to be discussed, among them Iran's nuclear program. Turkey has recently strengthened its relations with Iran and opposes the tougher sanctions threatened by Western governments.

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