German-Turkish officer reinstated after court overturns dismissal over religious practices, Gaza remarks

By Tufan Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – A German court has reinstated Yunus Emre Yar, a German-Turkish officer dismissed from the military over his religious practices — attending Friday prayers and eating a halal diet — and remarks on Gaza, ruling that the dismissal was unfounded and ordering full back pay.

Yar, who served in the German military for four years, was discharged after being placed under long-term surveillance by military intelligence. The allegations against him included regularly attending Friday prayers, following a halal diet, calling Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide,” early involvement in an archery club, and his father's political party affiliation.

The Munich Administrative Court rejected the allegations as baseless and concluded that none of Yar’s actions or affiliations violated constitutional principles or military regulations.

The court ruled that Yar’s characterization of Israeli attacks on Gaza as “war crimes” and “genocide” fell within his right to express personal opinions and did not interfere with his ability to perform his duties. As a result, the court ordered his reinstatement and full back pay.

- ‘Friday prayers seen as extremism’

Yar’s lawyer, Yalcin Tekinoglu, told Anadolu that his client was subject to repeated investigations despite maintaining a record of years of disciplined service.

Tekinoglu said Yar was unfairly labeled with terms such as “ultranationalist,” “Islamist,” or “anti-Semitic.” Following the court's decision, Yar's military rank and salary were restored. However, the German Defense Ministry has announced plans to appeal the ruling, Tekinoglu said.

Highlighting the extremism claims, Tekinoglu noted that Yar was also questioned about “Gaza and the alleged Armenian genocide.” He said the court treated all of the military’s allegations with skepticism.

“My client’s attendance at Friday prayers or eating halal food is not extremism,” Tekinoglu said. “These are natural expressions of religious freedom. Citing them as grounds for dismissal violates both constitutional and fundamental human rights,” he added.

Tekinoglu noted that the military also included Yar’s membership of an archery club in the file. “Such reasons should never determine a person’s professional future,” he added.

- Discrimination becomes systemic

Tekinoglu added that the case reflects a broader systemic discrimination that not only affects soldiers but also Turkish-origin teachers, civil servants, and public employees in Germany.

“Turkish-origin teachers, foreign teachers, and headscarf-wearing teachers face frequent racist and discriminatory cases. Their classes are limited, reassigned to other schools, or (they are) given different duties. Unfortunately, this is a continuous problem,” he said.