Turkish in Germany

Almost 50 years ago, Altay Aral travelled from Turkey to Germany as a so-called guest worker on the invitation of the German government. He was one of thousands of Turkish men who were among the first wave of foreigners to come to Germany seeking work as part of a formal guest worker program.

The "economic miracle" that Germany witnessed in its post-war years meant the country needed people to forge its steel and mine its coal, and so thousands came from Turkey, Italy, Greece and a host of others countries seeking work.

With no skills to draw upon, Aral found work as a welder with German engineering and manufacturing giant Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz, which was based in Cologne. Nine years later, he was invited by then-president Gustav Heinemann to attend his New Year reception as a representative of the country's first Turkish guest workers.

Now, almost 40 years later, Altay's son, Huseyin Aral, has been invited by the current German president, Horst Koehler, to his New Year reception. The story of both father and son could be viewed as one of successful integration, but as Huseyin tells it, theirs was a difficult path, full of hurdles and with little help from the state.

A helping hand

In 1967, Huseyin, then six years old and unable to speak a word of German, followed his father to Cologne. He says the conditions under which he came were not ideal.

"But there was always somebody to help," he told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. He says that while he got little help from the authorities, he was lucky to have "key people" in his life who helped open doors for him in his new country. There was the trainer who got him into a gymnastics training center at a Cologne elementary school, and who not only kept tabs on his athletic progress but also his scholastic development.

Huseyin also points to one of his high school teachers who "always looked after me," eventually helping him earn high grades in his final examinations, enabling him to go on to study medicine at the University of Bonn.

It was Huseyin's integration story that led to his invitation by President Horst Koehler for Tuesday's ceremony. But the doctor isn't likely to tell Koehler that his successful assimilation into German society was thanks to the country's authorities - but rather in spite of them.

Between Turkey and Germany

In 1986, Huseyin's father packed his suitcases and returned to Turkey, and it wasn't long before his son followed. Huseyin had already taken his preliminary exams in medicine in Germany, but earned his doctorate back in Turkey.

But the return to the country of his birth wouldn't be permanent. "Homesickness and longing" pulled him back to Germany, said Huseyin, but also specialist medical training available in the country. He was allowed to return, but on the proviso he would leave again once he finished the extra training. And so he eventually returned once again to Turkey.

Not long after however he was offered a position back in Germany at the University Hospital of Trier. Although he had since become a respected and leading physician, he was forced to go through six months of red tape and applications to return to the country of his upbringing.

"It was degrading," he said. "One was treated as if one had to beg." But once again, Huseyin relied on his key people to help him through. His supporters at Trier University reworked the job description so that only someone with Huseyin's qualifications could fill it.

The story unfolds

Four years ago, Huseyin was granted German citizenship, and now the eye specialist operates on up to 700 patients every year.

By chance one day, Huseyin was telling his story to an old school friend on the train, when he was overheard by a nearby passenger. This person turned out to be a senior official in the North Rhine-Westphalia state Integration Ministry. Huseyin's story was soon passed on to Armin Laschet, the state's integration minister, and then on to the German president.

"We must make such successful stories visible to encourage others," Laschet said.

But in spite of his successes, Huseyin says he has a sobering message for the German head of state when he meets him Tuesday.

After finally being able to bring his two children to Germany in 2002, he says he experienced the same problems with them as his father did with him.

"No school wanted them because they were unable to speak German," he said, adding that teachers were an important link in the chain of integration.

Author: Darren Mara

Editor: Michael Lawton