Turkish victim of racist attack in Germany to file complaint
COLOGNE
An ethnic Turkish taxi driver in Cologne, Germany who was subjected to a racist attack is preparing to file a complaint against the attacker, he told state-run Anadolu Agency on Aug. 6.
Celal Kaya, who has been a cabbie in Cologne’s Porz district for 20 years, was subjected to a racist attack by a German customer on the night of Aug. 4.
The cabbie, 44, said he got a doctor’s report giving him three days’ leave, adding that he will file a criminal complaint against the attacker.
Kaya said the incident occurred when he refused to turn up the music, fearful of causing noise pollution late at night.
“I picked three customers at around 2:30 a.m. and they wanted me to turn up the music in the car. I turned it up a bit, but the drunk person sitting at the back wanted me to turn it up more,” he explained.
“So that I wouldn’t cause disturbance in the neighborhood, I politely said it wasn’t possible, and that’s when everything changed,” Kaya said.
According to the taxi driver, when they arrived at the destination, the same drunk person started to make racist remarks, saying “dirty foreigner,” “cockroaches,” and “leave Germany and go back to your country.”
Kaya said he asked the German man to get out of the car and opened the door, which is when the customer started punching him.
The police came and got the situation under control, he added.
