Cem Ozdemir of the German Greens pulled off a hard-fought victory in a key state poll on Sunday and is now set to become the country's first state premier of Turkish heritage.
Ozdemir, 60, has been a national figure for decades in Germany. He calls himself a "Swabian Anatolian", a nod to his Turkish parents and the south-western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg where he was born and raised.
kAmx? $F?52JVD 6=64E:@? 7@C q256?\(F6CEE6>36C8VD DE2E6 A2C=:2>6?E[ ~K56>:C =65 E96 A2CEJ :? @G6C4@>:?8 A@== 567:4:ED 282:?DE E96 46?EC6\C:89E rs& @7 r92?46==@C uC:65C:49 |6CK]k^Am
kAm!C6=:>:?2CJ C6DF=ED 62C=J @? 6=64E:@? ?:89E AFE E96 vC66?D :? 7:CDE A=246 H:E9 2=>@DE ba A6C46?E @7 E96 G@E6[ H:E9 E96 rs& EC2:=:?8 2E 2C@F?5 b_ A6C46?E @C 2 =:EE=6 F?56C]k^Am
kAm%92E 249:6G6>6?E 42AD 2 AC@>:?6?E A@=:E:42= 42C66C H9:49 D2H ~K56>:C 364@>6 @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE 7656C2= |!D H:E9 %FC<:D9 C@@ED :? `hhc]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 23=6 E@ 5C2H @? 9:D 4@?D:56C23=6 ?2>6 C64@8?:E:@? :? E96 q256?\(F6CEE6>36C8 42>A2:8?[ 6DA64:2==J H96? 4@>A2C65 E@ E96 rs&VD =625 42?5:52E6[ E96 C6=2E:G6=J F?<?@H? bf\J62C\@=5 |2?F6= w286=]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 925 >@C6 6IA6C:6?46 @7 6=64E:@? 42>A2:8?:?8[ 92G:?8 CF? 2D E96 vC66?DV =625 42?5:52E6 7@C E96 a_`f 7656C2= 6=64E:@?[ E@86E96C H:E9 z2EC:? v@6C:?8\t4<2C5E]k^Am
k9am\ u@C6:8? A@=:4J 6IA6CE:D6 \k^9am
kAm~K56>:C H2D 3@C? E96 D@? @7 2 E6IE:=6 H@C<6C 2?5 2 D62>DEC6DD :? E96 D>2== E@H? @7 q25 &C249[ D@>6 d_ <:=@>6EC6D Wb_ >:=6DX D@FE9 @7 $EFEE82CE[ :? s646>36C `hed]k^Am
kAmw:D A2C6?ED H6C6 A2CE @7 E96 H2G6 @7 Qv2DE2C36:E6CQ @C Q8F6DE H@C<6CDQ H9@ AC@G:565 >F49 @7 E96 >2?A@H6C 7@C v6C>2?JVD A@DE\H2C 64@?@>:4 >:C24=6[ >2?J @7 E96> 7C@> %FC<6J]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 5:77:4F=E DE2CE 2E D49@@=[ ~K56>:C 36?67:E65 7C@> E96 DFAA@CE @7 E62496CD H9@ 6?4@FC2865 9:> E@ AFCDF6 DEF5:6D E92E =65 E@ 2 BF2=:7:42E:@? 2D 2 J@FE9 H@C<6C 2?5 65F42E@C]k^Am
kAmw6 E@@< v6C>2? ?2E:@?2=:EJ :? `hgb]k^Am
kAmpD H6== 2D D6CG:?8 2D 2 7656C2= |![ ~K56>:C D2E :? E96 tFC@A62? !2C=:2>6?E 36EH66? a__c 2?5 a__h]k^Am
kAmw6 4@\492:C65 E96 vC66?D 2E 2 7656C2= =6G6= 36EH66? a__g 2?5 a_`g 2?5 H2D 28C:4F=EFC6 >:?:DE6C :? E96 8@G6C?>6?E @7 $!s 492?46==@C ~=27 $49@=K]k^Am
kAm~K56>:C >256 >F49 @7 9:D 7@C6:8? A@=:4J 6IA6CE:D6 :? E96 E6=6G:D65 5632E6D :? E96 CF?\FA E@ E96 q256?\(F6CEE6>36C8 A@==]k^Am
kAmw6 2C8F65 E92E 9:D 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 4@?E24ED 4@F=5 96=A E96 C68:@? \\ 9@>6 E@ 42C :?5FDECJ DE2=H2CED DF49 2D !@CD496 2?5 |6C4656D\q6?K \\ H62E96C &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD E2C:77 3=:EK]k^Am
k9am\ tC5@82? 4C:E:4 \k^9am
kAm{:<6 E96 4FCC6?E DE2E6 AC6>:6C[ 76==@H vC66? (:?7C:65 zC6ED49>2??[ ~K56>:C 36=@?8D E96 A2CEJVD >@C6 46?EC:DE Q#62=@Q H:?8[ 2D @AA@D65 E@ E96 =67E\H:?8 QuF?5:DQ]k^Am
kAmw6 92D 5:DE2?465 9:>D6=7 7C@> D@>6 @7 E96 vC66?DV DE2?46D 2E ?2E:@?2= =6G6=[ 42==:?8 7@C >@C6 7=6I:3:=:EJ :? E96 EC2?D:E:@? 2H2J 7C@> 4@>3FDE:@?\6?8:?6 G69:4=6D]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 4C:E:4:K65 D@>6 @7 9:D A2CEJVD |t!D 7@C G@E:?8 282:?DE E96 t&\|6C4@DFC 7C66 EC256 28C66>6?E[ 2 562= A2CE:4F=2C=J H6=4@>65 3J v6C>2? 42C >2?F724EFC6CD H9@ 9@A6 E@ 3@@DE 6IA@CED @7 E96:C G69:4=6D E@ $@FE9 p>6C:42]Â k^Am
kAmp?5 ~K56>:C 92D FD65 9:D ?2E:@?2= AC@7:=6 E@ G@:46 @AA@D:E:@? E@ %FC<:D9 !C6D:56?E #646A %2JJ:A tC5@82?]Â k^Am
kAmp7E6C %FC<6JVD |2J a_ab 6=64E:@?D[ ~K56>:C 4C:E:4:D65 %FC<:D9 G@E6CD :? v6C>2?J H9@ 925 324<65 tC5@82?]k^Am
kAm%96J H@F=5 ?@E Q92G6 E@ 2?DH6C 7@C E96 4@?D6BF6?46D @7 E96:C 49@:46Q \\ F?=:<6 E9@D6 :? %FC<6J 72465 H:E9 QA@G6CEJ 2?5 =24< @7 7C665@>Q[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? a_`e ~K56>:C 2=D@ :?:E:2E65 2 C6D@=FE:@? :? E96 v6C>2? A2C=:2>6?E E@ Q4@>>6>@C2E6 E96 pC>6?:2? 86?@4:56Q[ 2 =236= H9:49 %FC<6J C6;64ED]k^Am
kAm~K56>:C H2D >2CC:65 7@C EH6?EJ J62CD E@ !:2 |2C:2 r2DEC@[ 2 ;@FC?2=:DE @7 pC86?E:?6 @C:8:?[ H:E9 H9@> 96 92D EH@ 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm%96J 2??@F?465 E96:C D6A2C2E:@? :? a_ab]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 42>A2:8?[ 2?5 @? '2=6?E:?6VD s2J E@ 3@@E[ ~K56>:C >2CC:65 7@C 2 D64@?5 E:>6[ E@ r2?25:2? =2HJ6C u=2G:2 +2<2]k^Am
kAm4=A^;D<^G3H^;;k^Am