Scholz urges German-Turkish voters to back his party in snap elections
Date
1/18/2025 2:55:52 AM
(MENAFN) Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on German-Turkish voters to support his Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the upcoming snap elections, reaffirming his commitment to addressing the concerns of immigrants.
“Germany is a country of immigration—one in four people among us has an immigration background,” the Social Democrat said in a video message shared on social media. “Those who live and work here, who are well-integrated, who speak our language, belong to our country and should have a voice in our democracy,” he emphasized.
Scholz sharply criticized his main rival, Friedrich Merz, the chancellor candidate from the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), for his proposal to reverse Germany’s new citizenship law and revoke citizenship from dual nationals.
“This threatens to take us backward. Let me be clear: we must not let it come to that. We must not create divisions between long-time residents and newcomers. Such divisions cannot and must not be our path. Unity—that is our way,” Scholz declared.
Germany’s new Citizenship Law, effective from June 2024, simplifies the process for immigrants to gain German citizenship and allows dual citizenship. The law is particularly impactful for Germany's Turkish community, as it removes the previous requirement to renounce one’s original citizenship when acquiring German nationality.
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