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Şefik Karagüzel, a 91-year-old who migrated from the Tonya district of Türkiye’s northern Trabzon province to Germany’s Cologne 64 years ago under the Labor Recruitment Agreement between Türkiye and Germany, says Turkish entrepreneurs are now the ones sustaining much of Germany’s economy.
Karagüzel, one of the first nine Turkish workers to arrive in Germany after the agreement was signed on Oct. 30, 1961, began working at the Ford factory in Cologne. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) at his home, where he lives alone, he reflected on his 64-year journey as a migrant worker.
Karagüzel said he learned the language soon after arriving in Germany.
After three years at the factory, his language skills helped him transition to an administrative role.
“Then I was assigned to help new workers coming from Türkiye settle into their dormitories and take their first steps here,” he said. “I served as a manager in the buildings where workers stayed. That’s how my career continued.”
He later founded the Association of Turkish Workers in Cologne and Surrounding Areas, which gathered 3,500 members. He said the group was once influential in securing workers’ rights from local administrations but lamented that many similar associations today exist in name only.
As a member of the first generation of Turkish immigrants, Karagüzel noted that there are now fifth-generation Turks in Germany and urged young people not to forget their language and culture.
“Those who speak Turkish well can learn German better,” he said. “Today, you see our children speaking German among themselves. They might use a few Turkish words, but they speak German better than Turkish. There’s a big disconnect. Young people should be encouraged to learn Turkish as their mother tongue. It’s very important.”
Emphasizing the major contribution of Turkish workers to Germany’s postwar economic rise, Karagüzel said: “Today, it’s Turkish entrepreneurs who keep much of Germany’s economy alive. We have lawyers, dentists, doctors, industrialists and builders. We’re strong in every field, and I see a bright future for us here.”
Known locally as the “Flying Black Sea Native,” Karagüzel said he fulfilled his childhood dream of flying by building his own aircraft in Germany.
He said he had been fascinated by aviation since childhood and worked hard to promote the production and use of ultralight aircraft in Germany. Some of the planes he helped build are still flying today.
Although he flew his own planes to many destinations, Karagüzel said he could never make it to Türkiye – “a lifelong regret.”
“My youth was spent between Ankara, Zonguldak and Istanbul,” he recalled. “Once, in Zonguldak, I tried to build a helicopter using an old Volkswagen engine. That’s where my curiosity started. Here in Germany, I had access to materials, so I learned to fly and started flying my own aircraft.”
He said he had planned a flight from Germany to Türkiye, back when Yugoslavia was still united, but was denied permission.
“I was ready, but I couldn’t get clearance,” he said. “If I carried enough fuel to reach Greece through Italy, I couldn’t take safety gear. If I took the gear, I didn’t have room for enough fuel. And the Yugoslav government wouldn’t allow me to land there. So I could never fly to Türkiye in my own plane; that was my biggest dream.”
