A group of Turks in Germany have formed a political party to contest in the European elections and to draw attention to “rising racism and xenophobia in the country.”
"As the Turkish community in Germany, we are now strong in every field; we are strong in sports, science, economy, and health, and have influence there. We need to engage in politics to reduce racism and discrimination,” DAVA leader Teyfik Özcan told a news conference in Gelsenkirchen.
He was flanked by Fatih Zingal, Ali Ihsan Ünlü and Mustafa Yoldaş, DAVA's parliamentary candidates for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June.
DAVA, short for Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening, was founded late last year to address a “political vacuum” for Germans with foreign roots “who don’t see any political home, especially with established parties,” according to Zingal, a 44-year-old lawyer and one of the founding members of the party.
Germany is home to the world's biggest overseas community of people of Turkish origin, numbering around 2.8 million, many descendants of workers who came to the country to plug labor shortages in the 1960s and 70s.
About half of this number still hold only Turkish passports, while others hold only German citizenship.
The community often complains of anti-Muslim and anti-Turkish threats and attacks on Turkish diplomatic missions, homes and shops, as well as places of worship and social gathering. For instance, over 500 attacks involving Quran burnings took place in Western Europe last year, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Just last month, four Bulgarian citizens of Turkish descent were killed in an arson attack in Germany’s Solingen city, mirroring a similar incident in 1993 when nine Turks were killed in a fire by far-right neo-Nazi extremists, again in Solingen.
The party says it is solely focused on issues such as tackling anti-Muslim racism and unequal treatment faced by those with migrant backgrounds. Its first aim is to contest in Germany for the European elections in June with 14 candidates.
In an interview in March, Zingal told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that his group wants to secure at least one seat out of Germany's 96, as there is no threshold to meet for the polls.
"That's why we established the DAVA Party. DAVA is a party that works for Turks and Muslims, and these issues are always on our agenda. We are working to combat them, and we expect support from the community," Özcan said Friday.
He continued by pointing out that racism and discrimination in Germany has a “pervasive impact “across various aspects of life such as school, work, hobbies and sports.
"For instance, the National Socialist Underground terrorist group murdered nine people. The 10th victim was a German police officer. Only after the killing of the officer, they intensified the investigation and solved the case. If not for that officer, it likely would've lingered on. Sadly, we lack a strong lobby, so they seek to divide us. German society, media and politics aim to keep us weak, prevent unity, and silence us," Özcan said.
"Politicians are aware of our significant potential here. As Turks and Muslims in Germany, we strive to build unity and solidarity. By continuing our work alongside respected figures in the Turkish community, I'm confident that with the support of the community, we can bring about substantial change in Germany."
Özcan called for unity, saying: "Our strength and energy come from the community."
"If we continue separately, as we have for the past 60 years, little will change. We must harness our collective strength for our community, our children, and our youth to combat racism and improve our situation."
In the EP elections, Zingal also stated that rising racism in Germany is one of the most important issues on their agenda.
Zingal said: "We have been fighting against rising racism for years, but when we look at German politics, there is a party called Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, or AfD), and in some places, this party appears as the first party, meaning Germans are increasingly inclined to vote for them. We need to continue our fight against this, we need to persist."
"Racism is not just a concern for us, the ones directly affected, but for all of Germany," he said.
"Because racism can also affect Germans; they can also be subjected to it. They are hesitant and can no longer express their thoughts freely. However, initially, it directly affects us, our associations, our people, everyone.
“Attacks on mosques are increasing, individual assaults on our citizens are on the rise, and citizens who appear Muslim, especially those who wear headscarves, are victims of these issues every day. These are our concerns, and we want to bring them into politics; we want to emphasize how important of a factor this is," he added.
Özcan stated that they collected approximately 14,000 signatures, surpassing the required 4,000, to participate in the EP elections.
He urged everyone to vote in the elections on June 9.
Özcan highlighted that DAVA's formation extends beyond the EP elections, with ongoing efforts toward becoming a party and their aim to participate in state elections in Germany and eventually the general elections.
"DAVA came into being following 62 years of migration history. It's a party that will find its place in the political arena of Germany. We especially call upon the youth: Join us, support us, and we'll support you, fostering an atmosphere of unity and solidarity," he said.
Özcan stressed their goal of boosting voter turnout, urging, "In Frankfurt, where half the population is of foreign origin, voter turnout in local elections is only 30% to 40%. We offer a vital alternative for those not voting. Elections are a potent weapon against racism and Islamophobia in Germany, and we must wield it."
