BERLIN: A simmering row over the integration of the 3 million Turks in Germany flared up after the Turkish Prime Minister told his compatriots that they should learn Turkish before German and resist assimilation. During a visit to Germany, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told 10,000 Turks of his ''growing unease'' about the way immigrants are treated in Germany.

''You must integrate, but I am against assimilation … no one may ignore the rights of minorities,'' he said. ''Our children must learn German but they must learn Turkish first.''

He qualified his remarks by saying that the children of Turkish migrants should study and get degrees in order to become valuable pillars of German society - doctors, professors and politicians.

But his comments provoked a blunt response from the leadership in Berlin, which has already, in effect, declared German multiculturalism dead.

The Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, promptly hit back, saying: ''Children growing up in Germany must learn German first. The German language is the key to integration for those growing up in Germany.''The spat threatens to add to tensions in Germany's 40-year accommodation with its largest immigrant population. Last year the Chancellor, Angela Merkel, declared multiculturalism had failed, while a book by a leading opposition figure was critical of supposed Muslim reluctance to integrate.

Mr Erdogan's intervention was not just a reflection of Turkish unease at perceived increasing xenophobia in Europe, but also an attempt to drum up votes. There is a general election in Turkey in June and for the first time Turks abroad will be able to vote at Turkish consulates. Germany, with almost 2 million eligible voters, will be the fourth largest constituency, after Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

As part of his manifesto, Mr Erdogan is offering Turks abroad a new dual nationality identity card that would allow Turks with German passports more rights in Turkey. At present it is impossible to hold both German and Turkish passports, and Turks who opt for a German one often encounter problems if they return to Turkey.

On Saturday Mr Erdogan told Rheinische Post that forced integration requiring immigrants to suppress their culture and language violated international law.

Immigration hit the headlines last year after a bestselling book by the central banker Thilo Sarrazin argued that German culture was at risk from Muslims. Politicians initially condemned Mr Sarrazin's ideas, but many shifted rightwards in tone as polls showed he enjoyed widespread support.

Turkey and Germany were allies in the Great War.

Bosom buddies, I'm told.