ANKARA, March 12 (A.A) - Motherland Party (ANAP) deputy leader Bulent Akarcali said on Tuesday that more than 20 thousand German citizens were living in Turkey.
Labour and Social Security Ministry, Conrad Adenauer Foundation and Turkish Democracy Foundation organized a forum on integration of Turks living in Germany.
Speaking at the forum, Akarcali said, ''maybe, 30 years later, we will discuss adaptation and integration problems of the German people settled down in Turkey.''
Akarcali noted that at first, they thought that the problems of Turkish people who went to Europe in 1960s were solved. ''However, at the end of 1980s, it was seen that there were ongoing problems and these problems were not those that could be solved by bilateral agreements. There were problems stemming from internal policy and law of that country.''
Many Turkish citizens who lived in Europe but who did not take the citizenship of that country started to become citizens of those countries since 1990s, Akarcali stated.
Akarcali noted that the number of such people were increasing and said, ''there is election in Germany at the end of this year and half million citizens with Turkish origin will vote in the elections.''
There were more than 20 thousand German people who were permanently settled in Turkey, Akarcali pointed out and said that the number was increasing.
Akarcali added, ''that is, there is a balance developed by the world itself. Maybe, 30 years later, we will discuss adaptation and integration problems of German people settled down in Turkey. I consider this as realistic. When Turkey gives necessary health services and when the price of flight ticket between Germany and Turkey is as much as a flight or train ticket between Berlin and Bonn, why don't they come to Turkey and spend whole winter here?''
German Christian Democrat Party (CDU) Federal Deputy Chairman Jurgen Ruttgers said that there were problems of Turkish people living in Germany besides their successes.
Ruttgers noted that integration with German community was not assimilation of a culture.
Germany was a pluralist country and would be so, Ruttgers stated. However, he said, a successful integration could be provided by the unity of diversity in the society.
Ruttgers said that unity and diversity were not contradicting things.