Turkey's EU affairs minister calls on Turks in Germany to "adapt to the customs"

Turkey's EU affairs minister calls on Turks in Germany to "adapt to the customs"

2010-10-13 00:32:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

BERLIN (BNO NEWS) -- In midst of the immigration debate in Germany, Turkey's European Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis called on Turkish immigrants to "adapt to the customs."

“Learn German! Adjust to the customs and conventions of your host country,†Bagis said in an interview published in the Bild. “Send your children to the best schools so they will have a future!â€

With around 3.5 million Turks in Germany, they consist of the largest immigrant group in Germany, a strong debate was sparked since the remarks made by a German central banker, saying that the country was becoming "more stupid" with unproductive Muslim immigrants and their offspring.

"You should not give up the gift of your identity and your culture, but you should consider yourselves ambassadors for Turkey. Only in this way can you build bridges for a better friendship and partnership between our countries."

Since August, a debate on immigration has raged in Europe's biggest economy when a central banker said that Germany was being made "more stupid" by poorly educated and unproductive Muslim immigrants and their offspring.

Horst Seehofer, head of the conservative Bavarian party, on Saturday said that Germany does not need any more immigrants from Turkey and Arab countries.

"It is obvious that immigrants from different cultures like Turkey and Arab countries all in all find it harder [to integrate]," Seehofer told Focus magazine. "Therefore my conclusion is that we do not need any additional immigration from different cultures."

Seehofer's were strongly criticized as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed to be in favor of Turks integrating with German society.

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