The New Anatolian

OPINION

Friday 21st of November 2008 05:25:19 AM GMT+2

The Germans have to face their own realities

The tragic fire in Ludwigshafen should be another eye opener that not all is going well between Germans and Turks in Germany. But we have to respect the sensitivities of the German authorities and our friends in the German society in the process.

Ilnur Cevik

08 February 2008

Font Size: default medium large

ilnurcevik@yahoo.com

The tragic apartment building fire in Ludwigshafen that left nine Turks (including five children) dead resurrects old memories of the Solingen disaster where neo-Nazis burnt down a house resided by Turks and killed several people.

The Solingen tragedy was an eye opener for both Turkey and the German society.

People saw the depths of xenophobia in Germany and that most of this was directed against Turks who are the largest foreign minority in the country.

It is sad that the enmity towards Turks increased in Germany after the fall of the Soviet empire and the reunion of the two Germanys. The East Germans grew more and more conservative and entertained extremist views that targeted Turks.

With Solingen what was obvious to many of us came to the surface and the Germans realized the urgency of the matter. They had to address the issue of xenophobia.

The Turks are a reality of Germany and we all have to live with this.

Many Turks have become an asset to the German society and have contributed to the wellbeing of the country in different fields. They have become a friendly bridge between Turkey and Germany. Look at politician turned businessman Vural Oger. Look at Prof. Faruk Sen and many others.

But then there are some Turks who have unfortunately failed to integrate into the German society and have turned into a problem area for all of us.

Both German and Turkish authorities as well as NGOs have to address this issue in a realistic manner and try to solve the mess.

Meanwhile, the Germans have to see that despite their goodwill and hard efforts xenophobia still exists and neo-Nazi groups are exploiting this very effectively.

It will be no surprise if the Ludwigshafen fire was the result of arson and that the culprits are neo-Nazis.

However, we also have to make sure that the incident should not cloud our flourish strong relations with Germany. Germans have started to give us more and more support on Cyprus. The visit of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to northern Cyprus to honor the Turkish Cypriots is very significant.

More and more Germans are now visiting Turkey as tourists and the more they come the more they see the true face of Turkey and go back home with different views. We cannot afford to cast a shadow on all this.

We have to address the Ludwigshafen fire with great sensitivity but also not to antagonize our friends in Germany.

All Artices of Ilnur Cevik

TNA SUPPLEMENTS