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People holding a Turkish passport were the second largest group seeking asylum in Germany in 2023, with more than 62,000 Turkish citizens lodging asylum applications last year, Deutsche Welle reported, citing data from the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
A total of 351,915 asylum applications were filed in Germany last year, which marked a 51,1 percent increase over 2022, when 217,774 people sought asylum in the country.
Of these applications, 62,624 were filed by Turkish citizens, according to statistics from BAMF announced on Tuesday.
Turks followed Syrians, the largest group seeking asylum in Germany in 2023, filing 104,561 applications.
In 2022 a total of 23,938 Turkish citizens filed asylum applications in Germany.
Since a failed coup in 2016 that led to a widespread crackdown on dissent by the Turkish government, the number of Turkish nationals seeking asylum in Germany and other Western European countries has seen a significant increase.
An ongoing economic crisis in the country caused by skyrocketing inflation, which stands at close to 65 percent, and the constant depreciation of the Turkish lira is also prompting some Turks to seek ways to leave the country for a better life in Europe.
Moreover, yet another victory by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose party has been ruling Turkey since 2002, in the May presidential election led to great disappointment among his opponents, prompting many of them to reconsider living in the country.