Germany's February elections see record number of ethnic Turks in Bundestag

In the early parliamentary elections held on February 23, 2025, Germany saw 19 candidates of Turkish descent secure seats in the Bundestag, marking a significant milestone in the country's political landscape.

According to preliminary official results, cited by Turkish media, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Left Party (Die Linke) each welcomed seven ethnic Turkish representatives into parliament, per Caliber.Az.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Green Party (Grüne) each saw two Turkish-origin lawmakers elected, with one member from the Christian Social Union (CSU) also making it into the Bundestag.

Notable SPD victories included Hakan Demir, Metin Hakverdi, Macit Karaahmetoğlu, Mahmut Özdemir, Aydan Özoğuz, Derya Türk-Nachbaur, and Serdar Yüksel, all of whom will now represent the party in the national legislature.

The Left Party’s Turkish-origin representatives include Gökay Akbulut, Ateş Gürpınar, Ferat Koçak, Cansın Köktürk, Cansu Özdemir, Cem Hamit İnce, and Mirze Edis, strengthening the party's diversity in parliament.

Serap Güler and Tijen Ataoğlu were elected to the Bundestag from the CDU, while Ayşe Asar and Filiz Polat secured seats for the Green Party.

In a historic moment for the CSU, Hülya Düber became the first ethnic Turkish member of parliament from the party.

This new wave of Turkish-origin lawmakers joins the 18 who served in the previous Bundestag, further highlighting the growing representation of ethnic minorities in German politics.

In a closely watched race, the opposition bloc formed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) emerged victorious, with Friedrich Merz’s coalition securing 28.6% of the vote, according to the country's electoral commission results.

By Tamilla Hasanova