German chancellor praises Turkish community's contributions

65 years of Turkish-German labor partnership

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday praised the Turkish community’s contributions to the Federal Republic, marking the 65th anniversary of the labor recruitment agreement that brought hundreds of thousands of workers from Türkiye to West Germany. Speaking at a ceremony in Berlin, Merz acknowledged the role of Turkish guest workers in constructing the country’s postwar industrial foundation.

“Turkish guest workers helped build the industrial foundation of our country,” Merz said of those who arrived following the October 30, 1961 accord. “They helped build the foundations of our nation. They created the infrastructure of the prosperity in which we live today.” Most early arrivals had intended to stay only a few years, yet roughly half remained, brought their families and gradually integrated into German society.

From guest workers to cultural icons

The chancellor highlighted high-profile success stories among descendants of the original guest workers, naming German-Turkish footballer Ilkay Gundogan, film director Fatih Akin, and BioNTech founders Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, whose oncology and immunology work has gained international recognition. He also cited authors Aras Oren and Deniz Utlu as examples of cultural achievement.

“These are just the widely known figures — the particularly spectacular success stories,” Merz said. “Yet there are thousands of others. They can be found in every federal state, in every sector of our society, across all political parties, within labor unions, and in employers’ associations.” He described integration as an ongoing task requiring mutual effort in workplaces, schools and sports clubs, emphasizing that newcomers should respect democratic rules while expecting equal opportunity and belonging.

Addressing discrimination and anti-immigrant rhetoric

Merz acknowledged that many across the first, second and third generations have experienced discrimination and racist violence throughout the 65-year history, citing the 1990s attacks in Moelln and Solingen, the murders committed by the neo-Nazi NSU terror group in which eight people of Turkish origin were among the victims, and the 2020 attack in Hanau.

“Fear of the foreign is poison for every free society,” Merz warned, noting that such fears appear to be increasing and are once again being ideologically charged. Regarding the term “Remigration” used by politicians of the anti-immigrant AfD party, he stated it represents “an attack on the modern Germany that we have built together over the past 65 years.” The 1961 agreement brought 867,000 Turkish guest workers to West Germany before recruitment ended in 1973, laying the groundwork for today’s community of roughly 3 million.