Berlin - A German institute of Turkish studies sacked its Turkish-born director Thursday after he said Turks in Germany and other European countries suffered discrimination similar to that suffered by the Jews in the Holocaust.
The Essen-based Centre for Turkish Studies, which is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, said it had decided to sack Faruk Sen for the comment and for previous remarks that presented a distorted picture of relations between Turks and Germans in Germany.
Sen had contributed to polarization, rather than integration, the institute's central aim, it said.
Beirut - A German mediator is expected in Beirut next week to finalize a prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah, a high- ranking Lebanese security source said Thursday.
The source said Gerhard Conard would travel to Lebanon after holding talks in Israel, where the cabinet is due to vote on the deal on Sunday.
The source said Condrad would meet Wafik Safa, a close aide of Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, who has been involved in previous swaps between Hezbollah and Israel.