Today the topic of Turkey probably joining the EU is widely discussed, not only in the media but also in our classrooms. Kerem is a handsome, young man of good humour who studies law at the Freie Universität Berlin , and enjoys soccer. He is a Turkish referee, working for Hertha BSC. He grew up in Berlin , but has not forgotten his Turkish roots. This interview gives an introduction to his character and shows him having two different backgrounds: the Islamic world of his family and the Western world he grew into. Maybe it can help make his personal wish come true: living in a communicative world that is free of prejudices.
What's your name? Kerem
Date of birth? 11th April, 1982, Berlin
Where do you live? Berlin-Tempelhof
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I'm pretty sure I'll be living in Berlin . I want to marry at the age of 30. Will I have a child at that time? Don't think so.
How often do you visit Turkey? Maximum once a year for six weeks.
What do you do during your spare time? I play sports, listen to music, I like to be with friendly people.
What kind of music do you prefer? R'n'B, Soul
Do you have any plans for the future? I want to finish University as soon as possible and them I will hopefully find work in a company.
Who do you admire? Though it might sound a little silly, I admire the homeless for their will to survive. I appreciate seeing them alive after a cold winter.
What would you like to abolish, if you could? I'd abolish the death penalty.
What do you consider to be of true value? Culture, tradition, humanity, that is to say tolerance. For me, working together instead of working against each other is very important.
Please make a reasonable sentence out of the following words:
Life... Well, to me the life we are able to lead in Germany is the biggest present you can ever get.
Love... difficult question. Love means to me having an argument and embracing each other afterwards.
Friends... are not to be missed. Friends are the most important things in life.
Do you think there is a difference between Turkish and German friends? This is not a very generous question. Probably my friends from Turkey are more open-minded. I don't know. In my mind, Turkish women are more confident about their cultural background and in soccer there is more emotion.
Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you think it would make a difference if the woman were Turkish or German? Yes, I did believe in love at first sight. However I have to say that I was hurt badly. I don't think the head has any influence at the start but this process starts later. This question bothers me a lot at the moment! My parents always left it up to me to decide how to deal with my Turkish traditions… When you are in love everything is possible. Love is unpredictable.
What do you like to read at the moment? I like to read documentaries that are also socially critical. The book I have just finished reading is “Bush at War“. Before that I read Michael Moore.
Which languages do you speak? Of course I speak Turkish and German. I also speak English, and a little French.
Your favourite meal? Pizza
Do you have sibblings? Yes, I've got a sister. She's older than me. Unfortunately, she doesn't live in Berlin , but we try to talk to each other on the phone daily. She means very much to me.
Tell me, what are your parents like? My parents are the best. They are people who believe in progress and I admire them for thinking that way while not neglecting tradition and culture at the same time. I know it wasn't always easy for them being immigrants.
Which language do you speak at home? We talk in Turkish, well, a mix of Turkish and German.
What does family mean to you? I think the most desirable thing in life is to have your own family.
What does it mean to you to be a referee? First of all, responsibility. I know for sure, that I have to stay calm in moments of pressure. When somebody bumps into me while being aggressive I need to calm him down, confront him with my authority. Being a referee definitely helped me to build up a strong personality.
When did you start to play? I started to play soccer at the age of eight. When I turned fourteen I started to be a referee in a club.
How did your parents react when they learned of your decision? At first, my parents weren't very amused. In youth football the parents of some players think they are they experts. For me that has meant receiving personal verbal abuse from the parents of some players. Today my own parents support me very much.
What kind of things amaze you? Famous referees decide within seconds and they are able to get their decisions through because of their overwhelming personality.
Did you face problems on the pitch in the past? I have had to turn up to the regional court twice because there had been some fight during a match. I had to give evidence.
What do you think of your career? Definitely being a referee has made me the man I am today. I learned a lot about body language.
I'm the youngest at my level and I think I've got the chance to make it, even nationwide with the DFB, the German soccer federation. I will try to make it but I won't put all my hopes into it. An unfortunate injury can destroy all your hopes.
Are there any parallels between studying law and being a referee? Of course, there are some. I have to admit, I'm kind of a “justice-fanatic”. However, I had to learn from my studies that law quite often doesn't mean justice. I knew very well I wanted to study law some day. Being a referee isn't as serious, but still you have to be fair.
Thinking of Germany and of Turkey , what do you like? In Germany somehow the state allows you to be someone. I like the warm-hearted people of Turkey , the hospitality.
What do you dislike? Thinking of Germany I don't like the grumblers though sometimes I'm like that too. Often, it's not as bad as you think it is A) because of politics or B) because you have to work on yourself. In Turkey some things that seem to me perfectly natural are dealt with a totally different way .
What's different? The economic and technological advances in German society.
What do you miss while you are in Germany or the other way round? When I'm in Turkey I miss the famous German discipline and order. When I'm in Germany I miss the easiness of living, human relations.
What do you think of Turkey probably joining the E.U.? In my opinion Turkey should definetely join the E.U.. I think Turkey is on a very progressive path and you should give this democratic state a realistic chance. It would be an important sign for the Islamic world. Every democratic state is able to cooperate with the Western world. Religion shouldn't be an impediment. A refusal would lead to terrible results. It would mean something like: We as Christians want to keep everything among ourselves and though we have succeeded in separating affairs of religion and affairs of state we still want to make our decisions according to our faith.
In Turkey national resolutions aren't valid when resolutions of the conventions of human rights are concerned. Sure, you can't deny things like blood revenge or the fact that women's rights aren't valid in some parts of the country, especially in the East. Still, the development is positive and the fear of some people isn't reasonable.
How important are the armed forces? Laws have been changed to reduce their power. On the other hand you have to consider that Turkey 's situation is different from say Germany 's because of the geographical position and the unstable borders.
What does the Quoran mean to you? The Quoran is the religion where I find my own personal peace. I chose it freely and I'm very interested in it. However, the actual abuse of the Quoran ashames me. Education needs to work against wrong interpretation.
It makes me sad that in the Western media there is scarcely any positive news from Turkey but negative images are “sexed up”. That's not fair.
Have you experienced discrimination? Do you feel insecure sometimes? I feel safe. But some people are getting more and more insensitive. They say things commonly said in their families and are not considered to be disrespectful, without realizing that they are in fact discriminating against the person they are talking to. Unfortunately, I have already experienced discrimination on the pitch. Imagine that a ten-year-old boy accused me of being a Jew in Brandenburg . Things like that and the latest results of the elections do shock me. But the positive experiences still have more weight.
Do you feel you belong to Turkey or to Germany? Let me say that I don't feel I belong to either of these countries one hundred percent, but I'm in Germany with one and a half feet.
What would you wish for if you could change anything? I would keep some cultural traditions in certain regions, but I would abolish nationalities. I didn't determine my home country and neither did anyone else. People are citizens of the entire world.
What do you hope for? Hopefully, someday we will be able to communicate in a way that the power of the strongest doesn't predetermine the conversation.
Thanks a million- Katharina König, 3. Semester