UPDATE 2 - Turkish president meets German chancellor in Istanbul

UPDATE WITH MORE DETAILS, REVISES DECK, MINOR EDITS

By Sefa Mutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday in Istanbul.

The meeting, which was held at the Huber Mansion in Tarabya, lasted for an hour.

After the meeting, Erdogan and Merkel went out on the balcony and had a conversation there for a while.

Later, Erdogan and Merkel met over lunch.

The two leaders are also expected to hold a joint press conference.

Earlier, Merkel and Erdogan boarded a golf cart and visited the beach area of the mansion. Standing next to the flags of Turkey and Germany, the two leaders greeted local and foreign journalists in the area.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz​​​​​​​​​​​​​​