Zafer Senocak on Germans and Turks

Following a fire in a block of flats in Ludwigshafen in which nine Turkish tenants died, a heated discussion has begun in Germany about how Germans treat Turks - the country's largest ethnic minority. During his visit to Germany, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan also became involved in the debate. "Things have built up to this," declares journalist Zafer Sanocak on the debate. "Anyone who believes the fire in Ludwigshafen is the sole reason for current German-Turkish tensions is wrong. The controversy about building mosques, the Marco case, the endless discussion about integration, forced marriage and honour killings are all issues that have helped make the Turks a stigmatized minority in Germany in recent years. And it has also created a German majority that defines itself by distancing itself from this minority. ... There is deep mistrust between many Germans and Turks. Ultimately the conflict is between religions, cultures and ethnic groups and not between inidividuals and viewpoints."

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