Social perceptions and experiences on Turkish-German intermarriages

Labour migration, which is present in our lives since the 1960s, engraved on both the life of Turks in Germany and their relatives in Turkey. Turks in Germany experiences a different dimension of immigration which comes with every new generation with a constant state of change and transformation from the first year of migration. With the first generation still dreaming of a beautiful life in their homeland and their grandchildren who were born in Germany and studied there and progressed towards certain career goals, are the most obvious examples of this transformation. From this point of view, we can say that Germany has become a homeland for the 3rd and 4th generation members of the Turks currently living in there. In the historical process, it is known that the contacts of the Turks and Germans, who are host community, are fluctuating. However, there has been an increase in positive communication and interaction over time and it is seen that both communities agree to live together. The greatest proof of this is the emotional bonds and intermarriages established between the two groups. The marriage forms of the Turks, which constitute the largest group of immigrant backgrounds, are very important for the future of Germany. This is because the presence of minority groups that remain closed within itself can cause the society set boundaries around its ethnicity, while constituting a major obstacle to social cohesion at the same time. Studies on Turkish marriage preferences in Germany show that they have a low rate of intermarriage and have a high rate of marriage within themselves. These marriages within their own group do not only include the Turks in Germany, but also the bride and groom who were exported from Turkey to Germany. The scope of this study is to present the theoretical background of the factors that lead to the emergence of intercultural marriages and to present the descriptive manner of the marriage preferences of Turks in Germany. The analyses were made by considering the living conditions and cultural experiences of the Turks in Germany and with the data obtained through in-depth interviews. Key Words: Marriage, Intermmariage, Marriage Migration, Labor Migration, Turks in Germany, Intergroup Distance.