GERMANY: Former German chancellor, Mr Helmut Schmidt, has said it was a mistake to bring large numbers of Turkish immigrants, so-called guest workers or "Gastarbeiter", to Germany 40 years ago.
The former German leader said attempts to create a multicultural society in Germany had failed, resulting in ghettos and parallel societies and that the concept of a multicultural society is at odds with democratic values.
"In this respect it was a mistake that we sought guest workers from foreign cultures at the start of the 60s," he wrote in the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper.
A main reason for the lack of integration between the three million Turkish community and Germans was, he said, an inbred animosity of Christians towards Jews and Muslims, encouraged by churches over centuries.
"We have generally defensive attitudes towards these religions and now a few idealists speak of tolerance, an appeal that has come hundreds of years too late," wrote Mr Schmidt. "In addition, many foreigners don't want to integrate at all."
Mr Schmidt's remarks come during a new round in Germany's ongoing discussion about immigration, failed integration and fears of attacks similar to the killing of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands.
Christian Democrat (CDU) leaders have tried to link the immigration debate to the discussion about whether the EU should open accession negotiations with Turkey, a move they oppose.
They want to offer Turkey a "privileged partnership" instead, a form of associate membership. The German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, warned CDU leaders yesterday not to abuse the debate about integration in Germany to poison the public mood against Turkey.