SPD Bundestag member Macit Karaahmetoglu has paid tribute to the first generation of Turkish workers who came to Germany, saying they were not merely temporary guests but people whose labour helped build the country. His statement marks the 65th anniversary of the labour recruitment agreement signed by West Germany and Turkey on 30 October 1961.
“Sixty-five years ago, the people who came to Germany were called ‘guest workers’. But they were not guests; they were the workers of this country,” Karaahmetoglu said. He argued that the anniversary reflects not only labour migration but also Germany’s wider social transformation. People of Turkish origin now contribute across healthcare, education, science, business, culture, sport and politics.
From a worker’s family to the Bundestag
Karaahmetoglu also described his own family’s migration story. Born in Rize in northern Turkey, he said his parents moved to Germany in the hope of providing a better future for their children. He initially remained in Turkey with his siblings and came to Germany in 1979, aged 11. He began school in Hemmingen, later studied law, became a lawyer and went on to serve as a member of the German parliament.
He said his career could not be separated from the sacrifices made by his parents and described his experience as one shared by many families whose children and grandchildren now play an active role in German society.
Equal rights must be part of everyday life
The lawmaker criticised continuing discrimination based on people’s names or origins. Commemorating the contribution of earlier generations on anniversaries was important, he said, but the priority must be equal opportunities, equal rights and a life free from discrimination.
“Our work is part of this country’s past, our presence is part of its present, and we have a say in its future,” Karaahmetoglu said.
