The strong support for Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan among Turks in Germany during the recent election has raised concerns about the effectiveness of integration efforts in the country.
Strong backing for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan among Turks in Germany in last weekend’s historic election has sparked renewed soul-searching about whether Berlin’s attempts to integrate the minority are failing.
There were scenes of jubilation in some German cities after Erdoğan extended his two-decade rule in Sunday’s runoff vote, with cars decked out with flags driving through the streets and honking.
Germany—home to the world’s biggest Turkish community overseas—had about 1.5 million registered voters in the polls, and Erdoğan received some 67 percent of the votes cast.
That is far above the 52 percent share of the vote Turkey’s longest-serving leader garnered at home, where he had to overcome intense competition from secular challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
That so many voters in a liberal European democracy opted for a ruler frequently accused of pursuing increasingly authoritarian policies sparked fresh debate over Berlin’s integration policies.
The results fed into a political row on a plan by the coalition government, led by the left-leaning SPD, to ease the path to gaining German citizenship and make it easier to become a dual citizen, which is almost impossible under current rules.
But Islam expert Ahmad Mansour argued the result should not stop the rules on dual citizenship being changed—as most of those who voted only held Turkish citizenship and were banned from having two passports.
‘Emotional approach’
While many Turks in modern-day Germany have high levels of education, good jobs, and decent incomes, critics say some can still feel disillusioned by relatively low levels of participation in politics and civil society.
In contrast to Erdoğan’s “emotional approach” to the Turkish community in Europe’s most populous country, Germany appeared to have little to offer, said Eren Guvercin, a Turkish journalist living there.
‘Conservative attitudes’
Germany is home to about three million people of Turkish origin, although many hold only German citizenship due to the current ban on dual nationalities.
Despite the worries triggered by the weekend election results, some argue that the backing for Erdoğan in Germany should not ring alarm bells.
Observers note that many of the best integrated Turks have taken on German nationality over the years, which excluded them from the vote.
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
