As you know, in Germany, especially in Berlin, people of Turkish origin constitute an overwhelming majority compared to other immigrants. In the state parliament and district elections, 10 candidates succeeded in entering the assembly. In the election held on September 20, the Left Party (Die Linke) achieved the second-highest vote share. The SPD was not expected to lose votes compared to previous elections.

In Berlin politics, housing and rent costs, as well as the parties' standing with voters, were among the prominent topics of the election campaign. The 10 candidates who qualified to enter the State Parliament from among 29 candidates are very important for our expatriates. Her mother is a social consultant from Adana. Her father is a doctor from Kayseri. Munich-born Elif Eralp is the daughter of a family who left the country as political asylum seekers after the September 12 coup. She studied law in Hamburg and has been a Berliner for approximately 16 years. She has been a Member of the State Parliament since 2021… Despite being married and a mother of two, she has not abandoned politics. She hasn't just settled into a comfortable position like our MPs. From the beginning, she has stood out and gained recognition for her work on tenant rights, social policy, and the representation of people of immigrant origin in politics. Are these minor achievements?

Why does all this concern us?

To give an example, our people are interested in everything, but they lack consistent success in implementing reforms on the issues they care about. Elif Eralp, on the other hand, is a female politician who has succeeded in drawing attention to important issues within her own political line, has proposals and discourses on what needs to be done regarding these issues, and has achieved success.

The most feared thing in Germany is the rise of the far-right and their ability to garner votes with their radical stance against immigrants. None of the people who have planned their lives in foreign lands want to be treated in a discriminatory way or give up the rights they have gained so far.  Especially when considering those striving to obtain citizenship, their demonstrated patience and sacrifices are understandable.

The life facilitated by social welfare has become a dream. Now, the days when high prices are felt are bothering everyone. Germany wants to remain a country of stability and does not want to deal with issues like inflation-high prices, and price changes.

So far, apart from isolated incidents, there has been no uprising that would deeply shake the country. Nobody wants such a situation either. They only fear actions that extremists might take, and these actions affecting children, disrupting their education and subsequent work lives. As is known, Germany is a leading country in outward-oriented industrial investments. America and Russia cannot compete with German-patented products.

As for us, the safety and peace of our citizens there, or those who consider themselves Turkish, are very important. Although the foreign currency they bring with them when they come to Turkey is accepted despite cultural differences, the once-typical Almancı model is shifting towards global citizenship. Especially in recent years, issues such as internal unrest, inflation, religious movements, and high prices in Turkey have closed the door to return. Young people, instead of coming to Turkey, prefer to go and settle in countries like Italy, France, and England with their German passports and live there…

The high-quality young population slipping through our fingers has already fled abroad under the pretext of studying. This was also partly caused by brains trained in Turkey migrating abroad by finding better job opportunities. However, another truth is that those who migrated from Turkey, worked there, and retired are also not satisfied with the current situation. Complaints about living conditions are not easy even for retirees, let alone for workers.

Well, we will all watch and see what a successful female politician of Turkish origin will do or can do in the position she has been elected to.

However, shouldn't we at least applaud a lady who has crossed the finish line, leaving men behind?

Well, it's easy to share success. But what will tomorrow bring, I wonder?  For now, we don't need to know…

Taner TÜMERDİRİM

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