The chairman of the Turkish Community in Germany, Gökay Sofuoğlu, has criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his remarks linking migration to problems in German cities.
“Mr Merz is trying to polarize instead of talking about how to shape society,” he told the RND media group in a story published on Wednesday.
While there is indeed increasing poverty, more homelessness and more closed shops in the cities, this has less to do with the diversity of cities and more with socioeconomic changes, which are the responsibility of the government, Sofuoğlu said.
“We do not need side issues,” he said.
The criticism stems from a statement made by the chancellor during a press conference in Potsdam in response to a reporter’s question about the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Merz stated that past failures in migration policy were being corrected and progress was being made. “But of course, we still have this problem with the city’s image, and that is why the interior minister is now working extensively to enable and carry out deportations,” he said.