HÜTAİ Webinar Series on the Occassion of the 60th anniversary of the Labor Migration from Turkey to FRG

2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the labour migration from Turkey to the Federal Republic of Germany. The migration story of the Turks in Germany starts with the signing of the Labour Recruitment Agreement. Signed on 30 October 1961, between the governments of the Republic of Turkey and the Federal Republic of Germany, this agreement have opened a new page in the Turco-German relations. “There is nothing more permanent than temporary foreign workers” as the title of Philipp Martin’s 2001 article suggests the Turkish guest workers who were expected to return home after a few years, have stayed instead and made their way in German society. Today they constitute the majority of a 3.5 million Turkish-German community and participate economically, socially and politically in Germany’s everyday life.
As part of HÜTAİ-Konrad Adenauer Stiftung organization, there will be 4 Webinars, each will be organized and moderated by the members of our board of directors. Webinars will be conducted in a variety of tones and formats, from academic to colloquial. Each will have a theme related with the phenomenon of migration and the migration of Turks to Germany.
To date much has been said on different aspects of the Turkish labour migration but perhaps one sentence said by the Swiss novelist Max Frisch tells us the story of a thousand words: “we wanted workers, we got people instead.” We have decided to use this famous quote of Frisch as the headline of our programm. 
 

“I.International Congress on Turkish-German Studies” is organized by Hacettepe University Research Center for Turkish German Relations (HÜTAİ) with the support of Hacettepe University Rectorate, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The Congress will be held on 12-13 November 2019 at Hacettepe University Beytepe Campus Mehmet Akif Ersoy Hall with the participation of academicians from Turkey and abroad with the expertise on the disciplines of International Relations, Political Science, Law, History, Literature, and Sociology. The main purpose of this high level congress is to strengthen the bridges of friendship between the two countries.

The opening speeches of the congress will be delivered by the Rector of Hacettepe University, Prof Dr. Haluk Özen, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, his excellency Martin Erdmann, Turkey Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Walter Glos and Director of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Ankara, Franziska Trepke.

The congress will be conducted in Turkish and German languages and simultaneous translation will be provided.

Updated congress program (3 November 2019) is available in Turkish and German.