How Erdogan fills a political gap for German-Turks
Stefan Dege sb
September 27, 2018
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heads to Germany for a controversial state visit. Despite his authoritarian style, many German-Turks continue to cheer him on. Cabaret artist Fatih Çevikkollu tells DW why.
DW: You like to introduce yourself to audiences as a German-Turkish artist from the Cologne district of Nippes. Why?
Fatih Çevikkollu: Well, because that pretty well reflects the spectrum in which I find myself, that is German and Turkish — and Nippes.
You enjoy playing out the differences and conflicts between German and Turkish identity in your performances.
The people we are talking about here, these so-called German-Turks or Turkish-Germans, identify with Turkey to a degree and to a certain extent with Germany as well. They are a mélange of both; these are not Germans or Turks, but hybrids, the "best of the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and the hits of today," so to speak.
Do you believe your audience can best understand these differences through laughter?
I want to make them think, but first laugh. When we laugh, we are all together.
So it's also about establishing a community?
Yes, creating a community, connecting, promoting empathy, strengthening solidarity — and also having a great evening!
Fatih Çevikkollu wants to have fun while exploring German-Turkish identity Image: Fatih Cevikkollu
How does one align their German and Turkish identity?
It's not about alignment but awareness. It's about creating consciousness: To what extent can I claim that I'm Turkish if I was born and raised here? And to what extent can I claim to be German without the dominant society denying it to me? Then comes the self-determination to not leave this decision to the dominant society, but to myself define what is German and what is Turkish.
I feel really good, at home and interconnected here in Germany. And I enjoy getting out in Istanbul, Antalya or Izmir and feeling the same sense of attachment. It has a lot to do with language: I speak both languages. Language is the highest good, a key to another world. I have several keys to multiple worlds.
Nonetheless, I have the impression that is remains difficult to blend these worlds in Germany.
Yes. It's partly due to the history of migration here in Germany. For a long time there was a narrative that this is not an immigrant nation. There were the traumatic events of Solingen [Editor's note: on May 29, 1993, five women of Turkish origin died, and many more were injured, following a racist arson attack on a house in Solingen, northwest Germany].
Or on a political level, Helmut the fat, greasy Chancellor Kohl said he does not do "condolence tourism" [Editor's note: the chancellor refused to attend memorial services for the victims].
And on it goes. The view that emerged was, "They cannot and need not be here." As a parallel reaction, some [Turks] were stuck with the idea, "We're going back anyway." We, the second generation that are now in our 40s, grew up in this atmosphere of tension.
German Turks celebrate Erdogan
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Judging by overwhelming support in the last Turkish election, why do you think so many German Turks identify with the kind of nationalism promoted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan?
The sad thing is, here in Germany we missed the chance to give the Turkish people a sense of belonging. No one cared for decades: The Turks did not care, the Germans did not care. And now comes someone who scents this political vacuum. He realized, "Hey, here are votes! I'll go and smear ointment on the wound of non-belonging, non-participation, of not being recognized." He is saying, "We are Turks, I have not forgotten you. We are a country, we are behind you." Erdogan has directly filled this gap.
And I ask myself: Why didn't we manage to do that here in Germany? My theory is that this position doesn't bring in that many votes. To be against this stance and to further segregate gains more votes.
Does Erdogan's upcoming state visit to Germany deepen the gap between German-Germans and German-Turks?
The biggest problem is that this conflict is inciting people against each other. Because let's be honest: The fact that a president comes and leaves again is really just a side note.
What has to happen to allow Germans with Turkish roots to feel at home in Germany?
Participation. On equal terms!
Fatih Çevikkollu, born in 1972, is a theater, film and television actor and cabaret artist with Turkish roots. In 2006 he was awarded the Prix Pantheon Jury Prize for his first solo show, "Fatihland."
Charting Turkey's slide towards authoritarianism
Turkey's shift towards authoritarianism has been over 10 years in the making. However, in the aftermath of the failed 2016 military coup, President Erdogan and the AKP have accelerated their consolidation of power.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O.Weiken
July 2007: Abdullah Gul becomes Turkey's first Islamist president
After years of free market reforms, Turkey's transition slowly begins to reverse. Islamist Abdullah Gul's candidacy as president in 2007 marks a clear shift away from secularist policies, and strains relations between the ruling AKP and the military. However, with broad support from both conservative Muslims and liberals, the AKP wins the parliamentary elections and Gul is elected president.
Image: A.Kisbenede/AFP/GettyImages
September 2010: Constitutional reforms take hold
Then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan tables a constitutional reform increasing parliamentary control of the judiciary and army, effectively allowing the government to pick judges and senior military officials. The amendment, which is combined with measures also aimed at protecting child rights and the strengthening of the right to appeal, passed by a wide margin in a public referendum.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Tumer
May 2013: Dissent erupts in Gezi Park
Pent-up anger directed by young people at Erdogan, Gul and the Islamist-rooted AKP hits a boiling point in May 2013. The violent police breakup of a small sit-in aimed at protecting Istanbul's Gezi Park spurs one of the fiercest anti-government protests in years. Eleven people are killed and more than 8,000 injured, before the demonstrations eventually peter out a month later.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca
July 2015: Turkey relaunches crackdown against Kurds
A fragile ceasefire deal between the Turkish government and the Kurdish rebel PKK group breaks under the weight of tensions aggravated by the war in Syria. Military forces resume operations in the mostly Kurdish southeast of Turkey. In early 2016, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) — a breakaway PKK faction — claim responsibility for two bombings in Ankara, each killing 38 people.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/M. Coban
July 2016: Military coup attempt falls short
A military coup attempt against the government shakes Turkey to its core and briefly turns the country into a war zone. Some 260 civilians die in overnight clashes with the army across five major cities. Erdogan, however, rallies supporters and the following morning rebel soldiers are ambushed by thousands of civilians on the Bosporus Bridge. The troops eventually drop their guns and surrender.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T.Bozoglu
July 2016: President Erdogan enacts a state of emergency
In the aftermath of the failed coup, Erdogan announces a state of emergency, leading to arrests of tens of thousands of suspected coup sympathizers and political opponents. Among those detained are military and judiciary officials and elected representatives from the pro-Kurdish HDP party. The purge is later expanded to include civil servants, university officials and teachers.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
2016: Crackdown on the press
As part of Erdogan's crackdown against supposed "terrorist sympathizers," Turkey becomes one of the world's leading jailers of journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders. The government shuts down around 110 media outlets in the year following the coup and imprisons more than 100 journalists, including German-Turkish correspondent Deniz Yücel.
Image: Getty Images/S.Gallup
March 2017: AKP officials try to stoke support in Western Europe
With a referendum on expanding Erdogan's presidential powers set for April 2016, AKP officials look to galvanize support among Turks living in Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands. However, the Netherlands forbids Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from landing in the country, while Germany opts to cancel two rallies. Erdogan accuses both countries of Nazi-style repression.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/AA/S.Z. Fazlioglu
April 2017: Erdogan clinches referendum vote
Erdogan narrowly wins the referendum vote expanding his power. As a result, Turkey's parliamentary system is abolished in favor of a strong executive presidency. Erdogan is also allowed to remain in power potentially until 2029. However, international election monitors claim that opposition voices were muzzled and that media coverage was dominated by figures from the "yes" campaign.
Image: Reuters/M. Sezer
June 2018: Election wins secure Erdogan's power
Erdogan secures a new five-year term and sweeping new executive powers after winning landmark elections on June 24. His AKP and their nationalist allies also win a majority in parliament. International observers criticize the vote, saying media coverage and emergency measures gave Erdogan and the AKP an "undue advantage" in the vote.
