Turkish body to mark 60th anniversary of labor migration to Germany

ANKARA

Turkey's body for Turks abroad and related communities is preparing to hold events to mark the 60th anniversary of the country's labor force agreement with Germany, it said on Thursday.

In a written statement, the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) said it would celebrate the agreement, signed between the two countries on Oct. 30, 1961, in an event at the Turkish Embassy in Berlin.

Abdullah Eren, head of the YTB, said in the statement that the initial deal had been limited to a specific time period but that things took a different turn as Turkish people, who went to Germany for economic reasons, remained there.

Underlining that there have been success stories through the years of Turkish people in Germany, Eren went on to say that the Turkish state always stood by its citizens in times of need and that now, his organization was preparing to mark the sixth decade of the deal.

* Writing by Ali Murat Alhas