| We Turks are a people who, throughout our history, have been the very embodiment of freedom and independence.
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Kaya Yanar who was born 10 May 1973 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, is a Turkish-German comedian best known for his comedy show Was guckst du? (Whaddaya lookin’ at?). Yanar’s parents are of Turkish origin and immigrated to Germany. He is famous for the German comedy show “Was guckst du?”, which covers sketches about pretty much every cliché out there. He is the host as well as the main comedian for most of the sketches.
Born north of Izmir (Turkey) on 25.09.1960, Osman Engin came as a twelve-year-old boy to Germany in 1973. He studied social studies at Bremen and graduated in 1989.
Between 1983 and 2003, Osman Engin wrote satirical short stories every month for the city magazine “Der Bremer” (”The Bremener)”, after which he switched to the Hamburg magazine “Oxmox”. He has already published twelve books. “Kanaken-Gandhi” is so far the most successful and will soon be made into a film. His newest book, “A Turkish Christmas”, came out last year.
Osman hopes through his satires to make the reader aware of injustices in society. He wants to provoke reflection. At the same time, he wants to tackle the issue of German-Turkish relations. “The Germans would call it holding up a mirror,” he says.
Last year, Engin recieved the ARD Media prize for his satire I am the Pope. This is an important acknowledgment of his work. His satire, according to the jury, “makes fun of everyday prejudices and clichés.” He wonders, admittedly, what Germany’s Turkish population thinks of his literary work. “The best recognition of my satires is the laughter of my audience,” grins Osman.
Muhsin Omurca, who’s been living in Germany since 1979 was born in Bursa/Turkey. He’s one of the founding members of the first Turkish cabaret KNOBI BONBON in Germany. He wrote and acted in many plays which are based on Turkish-German relations, identities, assimilation problems and cultural differences.
When he first presented his satirical shows, it was still not quite politically correct to make fun of German-Turkish prejudices. Today, he is one of the true founders of migrant comedy in Germany and enjoys greater success more than ever before with his prize winning “Kanakmän” (Turkman) and “Tagebuch eines Skinheads in Istanbul” (A Skinhead’s Diary in Istanbul) he has again succeeded in creating an intellectually stimulating and yet hilarious programme with his “The EUmans Are Coming“, about the Turks’ willingness to enter into a marriage with the EU.
Website: www.omurca.de
