In recent years, the political and social rise of far-right movements in Europe, especially in Germany, has become an important topic of discussion. Although these developments have fallen behind the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Palestinian issue and other global agendas, they continue to be a primary concern for the Turkish diaspora living in Germany.
The far-right and related social developments are causing serious concern among the Turkish people living in Germany, as well as other communities of immigrant origin and minority groups. Racist attacks and discrimination against Turks living in Germany stand out as one of the most tangible and worrying outcomes of this process.
Far-right political factions and social movements in Germany became more visible, especially after the refugee crisis in 2015. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) and similar political formations, whose party program is based on anti-immigrant sentiments, gained popularity with their anti-immigrant rhetoric and representation in federal and state parliaments. Since its establishment in 2013, the AfD has achieved remarkable results in federal and state elections. With nearly 5% of the votes, an increase in votes in the following elections and an electorate of over 10% in states such as Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg, the party's electoral successes, which started with 10% in 2014, reached 30% in the last elections. Following the decision of the current coalition government in Germany to call for early elections, polls ahead of the federal elections to be held on Feb. 23, 2025, predict that the party's votes will be around 20%.
The rise of the far-right in Germany is not limited to political parties but also manifests itself in some social movements and acts of racially motivated violence. In particular, anti-immigrant organizations such as PEGIDA and Pro NRW, known as an anti-Islam movement, prepared the ground for far-right politics with rallies and marches.
The Turkish community of approximately 4 million people living in Germany constitutes one of the largest immigrant and Muslim groups in the country. When we look at the increase in attacks against Turks over the last 30 years, we see that these incidents range from physical violence at the individual level to discriminatory practices at the institutional level. The most memorable of these attacks, the Solingen tragedy in 1993, in which five Turkish citizens burned to death, and the National Socialist Underground (NSU) series of murders, which resulted in the death of one Greek and nine Turkish citizens, remain in the memory of the Turkish diaspora as a social trauma. Apart from these, direct physical attacks against individuals and institutionalized discrimination in the labor, education and housing markets continue to be a part of daily life for the Turkish diaspora.
The anxiety of the Turkish community living in Germany is increasing with the rise of the far-right and racist attacks. Especially the new generation of Turks, who have completed their socialization process in Germany, do not feel fully accepted in Germany and are worried about their future in the country. The Turkish diaspora's sense of social exclusion and anxiety about the future negatively affect their belonging to Germany and their personal careers. In addition to the uncertainty, the rise of the far-right and racism is causing the diaspora to question their decision to stay in the country. Although Turks have a high political participation rate of 70% in Germany, they are not represented in local and federal Parliaments at the same rate as they participate. Almost all of the federal politicians, who are currently known as politicians of Turkish descent, do not represent the Turkish community living in Germany and are advancing in a political line that will have consequences to the detriment of a large part of the Turkish diaspora.
The rise of the far-right in Germany and racist attacks against people of immigrant origin stand out as serious developments that threaten the future of the Turkish diaspora. This process is a major test for both Germany's democratic values and its multicultural social structure. Under these challenging conditions, the Turkish community continues to struggle to preserve their identity on the one hand and to build an equal future in Germany on the other. The shortage of qualified and intermediate workers in the German labor market, which has continued for the last five years, has reached a crisis level today. Germany overcame the labor shortage in the 1960s with the immigrant community, which is subjected to discrimination today. It needs more foreign labor than it needed in those years. Therefore, Germany's future must depend on strengthening its democratic values by protecting the rights of migrants and minorities.
The Turkish diaspora, the majority of which has spent at least 64 years in Germany and raised four generations within its own society, is a chance for Germany's political, economic, cultural and social future. Despite all these developments and anxieties, the Turkish diaspora continues to contribute to the construction of a multicultural future by preserving its own identity against assimilation attempts.
