Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has called on members of Germany's Turkish minority to integrate themselves better in their adopted country, in an interview with a German newspaper to be published on Monday. "In order to be happy here, they have to integrate themselves completely," Gul told the Berliner Zeitung at the end of a three-day visit to Germany during which he met incoming chancellor Angela Merkel.
He urged Turks living in Germany to learn to speak German and keep up with local news, saying they "should try to understand what is happening here so they can convey it to their children." Gul however also called on Merkel's new government to ensure that the nearly three million Turks living in Germany do not feel sidelined. "People should not have the impression that they are being excluded," he said. Gul's remarks echo a call earlier this month by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkish immigrants should work harder to integrate themselves into German society. |