Germany and Turkey agree to train imams who serve Germany’s Turkish immigrant community in Germany

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Germany and Turkey have agreed to gradually end the deployment of Turkish state-employed imams to Germany and instead train imams in Germany to serve the country’s large Turkish immigrant community. As part of a joint training initiative announced on Thursday, 100 imams are to be educated in Germany annually starting next year, while the number of imams deployed from Turkey is to be gradually reduced by the same amount. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called the deal “an important milestone for the integration and participation of Muslim communities in Germany.” About 5.5 million of Germany’s 83.2 million residents are Muslim, and almost 3 million people in the country are Turkish or have Turkish roots.