Germany's recruitment of workers from Turkey, 1960–1973 – Some remarks

October 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the labour recruitment agreement between Germany and Turkey, and the official start of the labour migration from Turkey. Rather than a single turning point, the agreement of 1961 and the process of labour migration was marked by changes and pivotal moments. On the anniversary of this agreement, this commentary presents a historical overview with a comparative perspective of some basic aspects of the migration movement to Germany, and Europe, in the period of 1960–1973. It sheds light on the initiation and continuation of the recruitment, Turkey's justifications of the migration and its management of the labour flow. In turn, it is impossible to undertake this historical analysis without examining Germany's reason for recruiting Turkish workers and its approach to the Turkish labour inflows. In addition, this overview provides a discussion of the characteristics of the outgoing migrant workers, their provinces of origin, level of skill and gender composition furthering understanding of the different dynamics at play in this labour migration. This overview is not only a valuable as an analysis of a key historical case of temporary or circular migration but also helps to understand the current situation of communities of Turkish origin in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, the cultural and ethnic diversity amongst them, variations in their identity definitions, political orientations and transnational linkages.