Conflict ensues over the establishment of Turkish high schools to promote integration in Germany. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is putting pressure on German politicians to “see the signs of the times,” having recently lobbied for the Turkish diaspora to promote Turkish interests in their respective countries. The full article can be read here.
This article brings up two relevant issues: whether Turkey should be invited to become a member of the EU, and the importance of Turkish integration. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is promoting a “privileged partnership” between Turkey and Germany, which essentially is treating Turkish immigrants as second-class EU citizens. However, it appears that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is not interested in integration at all, hoping, in fact, that he can call up Turkish immigrants “at will to represent the interests of Turkey.” Overall, there seems to be no great argument against implementing German-Turkish schools; requiring students to learn both languages can only promote synergy between the two nations. However, little progress is being made regarding inducting Turkey into the EU.
