CDU to Completely lose its Minority Voter Base: CDU Politician

29 years old German-Turkish Yasmin Yildiz has been working for a famous German cosmetic company. She along with her parents has opted for German citizenship rather than keeping their Turkish passports as the half of the 3 million people with Turkish roots in Germany. Being pious Muslims, Yasmin and her family have always voted for Angela Merkel’s CDU. But it will all change in the next elections. As a matter of fact, almost all of the Turks who have voted for CDU will be cruising to other parties according to one politician in the Christian Democrats.

“Relations between Turkey and Germany have been extremely tense. Turkish government may have some of the guilt but certainly Merkel has some responsibility as well,” said Yasmin. Yasmin says the strain between the old war-allies effects every single aspect of their life. The whole Turkish community feel the same and the German Turks will be turning to others than Merkel’s CDU to cool down the relations and eventually turn the two countries into good partners with mutual respects.

“CDU gets only a few hundred votes in NRW state from Turks and the situation isn’t too different among other minorities,” said Mustafa Duman, who serves on the Cologne local board of Angela Merkel’s CDU. Duman says The Christian Democrats have been having hard time to face the fact that neither Turkey nor the Turkish people in Germany are the same. “The only reason they have me on their board is to say we have minority members there. It sort of a PR for CDU,” says Duman who has been working in Ford factory as an engineer for decades.

Mustafa Duman

Elections in Germany are 4 years away. Indeed, Turkey will hold early elections on June 24th. If Erdogan wins again, he will have good 4 years in his hands with His German counterpart Merkel to restore relations between the old allies. As Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu puts it, both countries need each other.

Yasmin says CDU or other parties may not be taking around 1.5 million Turkish voters serious enough. But when that discontent spreads wider among other minorities and the recently accepted refugees, it could turn into a crack which could harm social coherence of Germany.