Is Zimbabwe on the right track to economic growth? – DW – 06/10/2025
06/10/2025
June 10, 2025
Zimbabwe has rolled out some reforms and programs to stabilize its economy. Key among them is the new ZiG Currency. So, has the policy chalked up any successes? And what are the implications for inflation control, debt resolution, and arrears clearance? Zimbabwe's Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube talks to DW's Josey Mahachi on these and other issues
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Germany: Why are so many Turks applying for citizenship? – DW – 06/22/2025
The number of Turkish people becoming German citizens doubled in 2024. Why is that? Germany has become increasingly attractive for Turks — whether for life, work or study. Immigration statistics show that a total of 22,525 Turkish citizens received German passports in 2024 — a 110% increase over 2023. Turkey is now second only to Syria when it comes to the number of its citizens receiving German passports. Alaz Sumer is one of those who decided to apply. He came to Germany about eight years ago to pursue his master's degree. Now a lawyer, he works for a Berlin-based NGO and is completing his doctorate in constitutional law. He told DW that citizenship is the goal of every immigrant, saying it is much more practical. "Otherwise you are always stuck dealing with bureaucracy — and it is heavy here. Just getting a residency permit can be torturous." Burak Keceli, an IT specialist who graduated from Istanbul's respected Bogazici University, came to Germany in 2016. He says he came for career reasons and has spent several years working in the private sector. Today, he continues to live in Berlin. Looking back, he says: "I've lived in Germany for years and speak the language fluently. After all that time, I wanted to be able to have my say politically. The power of a German passport was also an important factor … with it, I can travel to many countries around the world without a visa." According to the 2025 Global Passport Index, which ranks passports by the number of countries a holder thereof can travel to visa-free, Germany ranked fifth in the world — behind the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Singapore and France. A German passport provides visa-free entry into 131 countries, whereas a Turkish passport only allows 75. Germany's June 2024 citizenship reforms no doubt gave the trend a major boost, with dual citizenship becoming a major incentive for migrants to seek a second passport. Alaz Sumer, for instance, says he had no desire to relinquish his Turkish citizenship. "I didn't want to give up my right to vote," he says. A Turkish passport he says, also has advantages in countries with which Turkey has better relations than Germany. Burak Keceli is also a dual citizen. He calls the possibility of having two passports "very positive" but says he would have sought German citizenship either way. Germany's previous government also shortened the residency requirement for citizenship from eight down to five years and down to three for those who could show special integration potential. The new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz did away with the three-year rule in May, 2025. Still, the new government has let the dual-citizenship model stand, meaning migrants can keep their original passports. That's very important to many of those who have come to Germany from elsewhere. Until recently, Germany required all migrants — with the exception of Swiss and EU-member state passport holders — to renounce prior citizenship before granting them German passports. That forced many to hold off seeking German citizenship over the emotional, familial and business ties they maintained with their country of origin. That goes for an estimated 3 million Turks living in Germany. The political, social and economic situation in Turkey has also been a major driver for immigration. "I wanted to be an academic," says Alaz Sumer, "but I didn't have the impression that it was really possible to do so freely in Turkey. When the situation deteriorated, I left." As for Keceli, he says would wouldn't have been able to have a "nice life" in Turkey. "If I had chosen to go to another country [other than Germany] I probably would have applied for citizenship there." The political climate in Turkey has been worsening for years. Human rights organizations regularly report freedom of speech and press violations by the government. In March, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had his most capable election challenger, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, arrested — a drastic measure even by Erdogan's standards. Moreover, the country has languished economically for years: In 2015, a euro cost about 2.3 Turkish lira, now it's nearly 46 ($1 is currently worth around 40 Turkish lira, 10 years ago it was around it cost around 2.7 Turkish lira). Despite integration and years of life spent in Germany, many Turks here still feel rooted in their old culture and continue to call Turkey home. "Germany never became home for me. I wouldn't describe myself as a German. But even if I did, Germans would laugh at me — and rightly so," says Sumer. Keceli sees things similarly: "All of my loved ones are in Turkey. I never lost the connection. I will continue to travel back and forth. And even if I don't always keep up on the latest news, I still listen to Turkish music. I will always call Turkey home. I don't really feel at home in Germany." Sumer says he "mostly enjoys" life in Germany but admits he doesn't feel like he really belongs. "I don't think that you're immediately accepted when you get a German passport — that certainly wasn't the case for me." He then describes experiences that mirror those of other migrants: "I feel closer to Turkey than I do to Germany. It's clear to me that I am only German on paper. Even if you assimilate and live by German standards — you're still always an immigrant." Sumer recounts moments of everyday discrimination. When he tried to find an apartment after receiving his citizenship, he says, he didn't get any replies whatsoever to his online queries using his real name. That changed when he a fake name. "If you don't have a German name, a German passport won't do you much good either," he says. 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Iran-Israel war: Will India need to pick a side? – DW – 06/20/2025
The escalating conflict in the Middle East presents India with tough choices — balancing energy security, economic stability and its delicate diplomacy between Israel and Iran. India maintains amicable relations with both Israel and Iran, which is the result of a delicate balancing act stretching back many years. Now, New Delhi finds itself in a precarious position as the Israel-Iran conflict seems to be escalating into a broader confrontation with mounting death tolls and rising uncertainty. India's diplomatic tightrope Over the last decade, India has strengthened ties with Israel, particularly in defense and technology. India has acquired advanced weaponry, including Barak 8 defense missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions and sophisticated radar systems. In last month's short-lived conflict between India and Pakistan, New Delhi reportedly utilized various Israeli-origin weapons, underscoring the importance of the strategic defense partnership. At the same time, India values its historical and cultural connections with Iran, as well as its strategic role in regional connectivity, energy security, and geopolitical balance. Tehran is also New Delhi's second-largest supplier of crude oil. Israeli civilian sites hit by barrage of Iranian missiles To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Importantly, Iran acts as India's gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Chabahar Port project on the Gulf of Oman, developed jointly by India and Iran, is central to this strategy, providing India with direct access to this region while bypassing Pakistan. Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, a regional expert monitoring current events, said that "India needs to maintain its balancing act to protect its security ties with Israel and protect its strategic interests and economic commitment to the Chabahar Port." "With such contrasting objectives, strategic ambiguity serves the purpose of India being dragged into the conflict, which is bound to widen if the war drags on," D'Souza, founder of the Mantraya Institute for Strategic Studies, told DW. Safeguarding New Delhi's interests Last week, India's Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement expressing deep concern at the recent developments between Iran and Israel. "India urges both sides to avoid any escalatory steps. Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised to work towards a de-escalation of the situation and resolving underlying issues," said the statement. "India enjoys close and friendly relations with both countries and stands ready to extend all possible support," it added. Sticking to its policy of strategic ambiguity and nonalignment, India distanced itself from a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) statement denouncing Israel's attacks on Iran. The SCO is a 10-member bloc created by China and Russia to counter the Western-led global is also a SCO member, despite its regional rivalry with China. Responding to the escalation between Israel and Iran, the SCO expressed "serious concern" and strongly condemned the Israeli military strikes. Indians seek jobs in Israel amid high unemployment To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video P R Kumaraswamy, a professor of Middle Eastern studies specializing in Israeli politics at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told DW that India's strategic silence on the Israel-Iran conflict, mirrored by its decisive refusal to endorse the SCO, reflects a "calculated, nuanced and matured approach" rooted in its national interests and geopolitical balancing. "This approach, akin to its neutrality during the Ukraine-Russia war, also recognizes the sentiments in several Arab capitals as they are caught between Israeli actions and a nuclear Iran as their neighbor," said Kumaraswamy. "Strategic autonomy can also be pursued through calculated and minimalist responses without any rhetorical declarations." D'Souza, however, said such a policy will be useful as long as the conflict between Israel and Iran is short. "If it drags on, every move of India will be analyzed and assessed, and its impartiality will be tested, which will be a test case for India's diplomacy," she said. "It will come under pressure if the conflict prolongs. However, being a votary of diplomacy and dialogue is a prudent policy that will maintain India's principle of non-alignment," she added. Will India's hand be forced? Earlier this week, India launched "Operation Sindhu" to evacuate Indian nationals, starting with 110 Indian students from northern Iran. These students were assisted in crossing into Armenia by road under the supervision of Indian diplomats. Iranians protest Israeli strikes To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Following the successful evacuation from Iran, India extended the operation to include its nationals in Israel. Indian citizens who wish to leave Israel are being evacuated through land borders and then brought to India by air, according to India's Foreign Ministry. Former diplomat Anil Wadhwa said India would resist the pressure to take a clear side in the conflict unless New Delhi's vital interests like energy, connectivity, or security, are directly threatened. "Strategic autonomy has been prioritized by India. In the Middle East itself, opinions are divided over Iranian nuclear activities. India, therefore, works on a bilateral basis with its Middle East partners to develop trust and enhance its interests," Wadhwa told DW. "India will not want to be drawn into bloc-based confrontations. It is building trust through tailored partnerships," he added. Edited by: Keith Walker
