Politics · Germany · 11 hrs ago
Merz praises Turkish workers’ role in building modern Germany
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Turkish workers for helping build Germany’s prosperity at a ceremony in Berlin.
The event marked 65 years since a 1961 agreement brought Turkish workers to West Germany during its postwar economic boom.
Many stayed, brought their families, and became part of German society across generations.
Merz said migration had enriched Germany and that the country still needed skilled workers from abroad.
He also warned that Turkish Germans continue to face discrimination and condemned the far-right AfD’s use of the term “remigration,” which he said threatened Germany’s multicultural society.
Merz said integration requires mutual respect and equal opportunities, while newcomers are expected to uphold democratic principles.
His government wants to manage and limit migration, while also making it easier for skilled workers to come through a planned Work-and-Stay Agency.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Turkish workers for helping build Germany’s postwar prosperity at a ceremony marking 65 years since the German-Turkish labor recruitment agreement.
He said Turkish workers helped establish the country’s industrial foundations and enrich its economy and culture.
Merz warned about discrimination and condemned the AfD’s use of the term “remigration.”
He said Germany still needs skilled workers from abroad, while also arguing that migration should be managed to support integration.
- Who
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke at the ceremony. Turkish workers and their descendants were being recognized.
- What
- Merz praised Turkish workers’ contributions to Germany and warned about racism and exclusion.
- When
- Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at a ceremony marking the agreement’s 65th anniversary.
- Where
- Berlin, Germany.
- Why
- The ceremony marked 65 years since the German-Turkish labor recruitment agreement, signed to supply workers to Germany’s booming economy.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Germany and Türkiye signed a labor recruitment agreement to supply workers to Germany’s booming economy.
Hundreds of thousands of Turkish workers came to West Germany, and many stayed and reunited with their families.
Merz praised Turkish workers at a Berlin ceremony marking the agreement’s 65th anniversary.
- Agreement signed
- Oct. 30, 1961
- Anniversary marked
- 65 years
- Ceremony location
- Berlin
- German chancellor
- Friedrich Merz
- Prominent figures cited
- Ilkay Gündoğan, Fatih Akın, Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci
3 sources
What people are saying
Turkish guest workers helped build the industrial foundation of our country,
Fear of the foreign is poison for every free society,
Behind it lies an attack on modern Germany, which we have built together over the past 65 years,
We are seeing how people are once again openly excluded,