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An early meeting of the new city council in Moers, in Germany’s North Rhine Westphalia state, has been overshadowed after Social Democratic Party (SPD) group chair Atilla Cikoglu was reportedly insulted with the words “dirty Turk” by a colleague from the FDP/Free Voters group during a debate. Both Cikoglu and the city administration have filed criminal complaints, while the municipality has also started to prepare additional steps in response to the incident.
The incident took place during the second council session of the new term on 12 November, when Cikoglu was speaking on the floor. According to a report by Sonhaber.eu, cited in German media, a member of the FDP/Free Voters group is alleged to have used the phrase “dirty Turk” while the SPD politician was addressing the chamber. A councilor from the Green Party, seated in the front rows near the FDP/Free Voters group, stated that they heard the expression clearly.
Cikoglu later learned what had happened during the break between the public part of the meeting and a closed session, and the incident immediately cast a shadow over the council’s fresh start.
Speaking on Thursday, 20 November, Cikoglu said he had been informed about the remark only during the interval and confirmed that he had lodged a criminal complaint over the insult. He also explained that Stephan Topfer, the district chair of the Free Voters, had telephoned him to apologize on behalf of the party.
Cikoglu noted that the councilor accused of making the remark had tried to reach him personally, but he stressed that an apology would not be enough for him to withdraw his complaint. He stated that if the person had said “dirty Atilla” or “dirty Social Democrat” he might have been able to ignore it, yet “dirty Turk” went far beyond what he could accept, as it targeted his identity rather than only his name or political role.
According to the Rheinische Post, Mayor Julia Zupancic was also informed about the insult during the break. Because the councilor concerned did not attend the closed session, they did not receive a formal warning, known in German as an “Ordnungsruf,” during that part of the meeting. Even so, Zupancic told other council members that she would never tolerate such behavior in the chamber under any circumstances and made clear that similar incidents would not be accepted in future debates.
The municipal administration, in parallel with Cikoglu’s own move, has submitted its own complaint and is working on further measures in line with local procedures.
Martin Borges, the head of the FDP/Free Voters group on the council, stated that he had personally heard the remark. He said such an outburst should not have happened and that everyone involved was aware of this. Borges described the incident as a major mistake that could no longer be taken back, underlining that the choice of words had crossed a line even within a heated political discussion.
As investigations get under way, the episode has already weighed heavily on the political climate in Moers, with the tone of local debate coming under renewed scrutiny so early in the council’s new term.
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