Photo: Wirtschaftsbetriebe DuisburgSome members of Duisburg's Turkish community say a new trash can campaign encouraging "Mehmet" and "Gülcan" to throw away garbage is racist. Some also include Turkish names, with phrases like “There you go, Gülcan” and “Do it, Mehmet.” And for those who only see these last two examples, the campaign may come across as targeting the Turkish community. “Does Duisburg have the impression that only Turks throw their trash on the ground,” wrote one person on Twitter. Kersken explained that the campaign simply wanted to inspire people to clean up after themselves with a bit of humour. Rather, he explained that the campaign was a reflection of ignorance in regards to Turkish names: The name Mehmet comes from the Arabic Mohammed, and therefore may be considered a holy name.

Source: The Local August 08, 2017 11:03 UTC