Turkish man’s body accidentally cremated in Germany

HANNOVER

The body of a Turkish man who died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Germany has been accidentally cremated after being mistaken for a German citizen.

Abdülkadir Sargın passed away in Hannover on Dec. 14, and the body was delivered to the funeral company after an autopsy, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

On Dec. 20, during the preparations for the funeral, the 71-year-old’s body was mistaken for that of a German citizen.

The forensic medicine service informed the family that the deceased’s body was cremated.

The ministry announced that it immediately contacted the family after learning about the incident and that it would follow the matter in all aspects.

At present, ethnic Turkish people form the largest ethnic minority in Germany. They also form the largest Turkish population in the Turkish diaspora.

Whilst the majority of Turks arrived or originate from Türkiye, there are also significant ethnic Turkish communities living in Germany who come from, or descend from, Southeastern Europe, Cyprus as well as Turkish communities from other parts of the Levant, including Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.

Turks who immigrated to Germany brought cultural elements with them, including the Turkish language.