A celebration of (Turkish Day) near the Brandenburg Gate, located in Germany's capital city of Berlin.
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Total population | |
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Estimates vary significantly Estimates have varied between 2.5 million to 4 million. However, since the first decade of the twenty-first century, numerous academics suggest that there are 4 million or "at least" or "more than" 4 million people of Turkish origin or 5% of Germany's 82 million inhabitants (accounting to 4.1 million) (some academics have also quoted the much higher estimates of European officials, suggesting as much as 7 million Turks living in Germany, including descendants) "Turkey-related population": (including Turkish-Kurds and other minorities from Turkey, but excluding the significant ethnic Turkish communities from the Balkans, Cyprus, and the Arab World): 5 million or "reaching" or "more than" 5 million to 5.6 million |
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Regions with significant populations | |
Languages | |
German language, Turkish language | |
Religion | |
Estimates vary significantly
Official data:
The German census does not allow residents to declare their ethnicity. Hence, whilst the 2011 census states that 2.71 million German residents have at least one parent from Turkey, this is not a true representation of the total ethnic Turkish population. In 1997 the former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had already stated that there were 3 million Turks living in Germany.
4 million (2011 Embassy of Germany, Washington, D.C. estimate)
Academic estimates:
Turks in Germany, also referred to as German Turks and Turkish Germans, (German: Türken in Deutschland or Deutsch-Türken; Turkish: Almanya'da yaşayan Türkler or Almanya Türkleri) refers to ethnic Turkish people living in Germany. These terms are also used to refer to German-born individuals who are of full or partial Turkish ancestry. Whilst the majority of Turks arrived or originate from Turkey, there are also significant ethnic Turkish communities living in Germany who come from (or descend from) the Balkans (such as Bulgaria, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, and Romania), Cyprus, and more recently as refugees from Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. The Turkish people form the largest ethnic minority in Germany. Moreover, they form the second largest Turkish population in the world, after Turkey.
The Turkish people who immigrated to Germany brought their culture with them, including the Turkish language and Islam. These cultural values were passed down to their children and descendants who maintain these traditions. Moreover, the greater German society has also been exposed to the Turkish culture, particularly in regards to Turkish food and the arts. These changes in Germany, as well as the recently introduced German nationality laws in 1990 and 1999, shows that Turkish immigrants and second, third, and fourth generation Turks are no longer merely seen as "foreigners" ("Ausländer") in Germany but rather permanent residents who are increasingly making their voices heard, whether it be in local and national politics, civic actions, religious organisations, or in cinema, literature, music, and sports.