When Oguzhan Oz turned 16 last month, his father treated him with a brand new tattoo for his birthday. The 16-year-old decided to have crescent and star symbols on his hand which also appears on Turkish national flag. It was the coolest gift for the Turkish-German teen. However, he had no idea that it would also prevent him from his most basic right: Education.
There have been many reports about discrimination towards Turkish minority in Germany at every level of daily life from health industry to national sports team. But according to Oguzhan’s father, Mustafa Oz, what his son is facing now is a new level at what Turks have to face.
“This is not just racist but also against most basic human rights. They forced my son to cover the tattoo with tape in order to enter the school,” said Mustafa Oz whom has other tattoos which symbol his Turkish roots.
The school in German city of Dortmund found the 16-year-old Oguzhan’s tattoo politic. The father pressed charges against the school administration but the Dortmund public school did not stop there and also banned the father from entering the school because of his three-crescent tattoos on his head and arm.
Mustafa Oz said he asked the school administration to provide them the implementation in writing which the school refused. “I made a research. There is no such violation. What the school is doing to my son has no place in German laws,” Mustafa Oz said.
The teen Oguzhan, on the other hand, says he has been mocked by his friends in the school and has been going through depression because of the implementation of the school administration.
Diaspora Daily 