At last year's integration summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel practically had to drag the smiling attendees away from their photo ops. "We have a lot of work to do," she said, as she and her enthusiastic guests rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

But this year's summit was a different matter, as signs of looming conflict began emerging right from the start. The city of Berlin's commissioner for integration and migration, Günther Piening, even went so far as to characterize the outcome of the summit the German government now faces as a "pile of shards."

After the accusations and the boycott of the summit by Turkish groups, Merkel's objective on Thursday was to direct attention to the results of the past year's efforts -- and away from her critics. But Merkel couldn't help but make a few comments about the Turkish groups in the end. Her comments were crystal clear.

First, she said, the German government would not allow itself to be given ultimatums. The Turkish groups had threatened to boycott the summit unless Berlin revoked its new immigration law. Second, Merkel announced, the government would continue to leave the door open to those who were not present on Thursday, so that they could reintegrate themselves into the process.

Then the chancellor was asked how she felt on a day when her government had approved €750 million ($1 billion) in funding to improve integration, while Turkish newspaper Hürriyet ran a photo of Merkel with the headline: "Pure Racism." That, Merkel responded, poker-faced, is part of the freedom of the press, even if she doesn't like it. Instead, she said, the new immigration law must be portrayed correctly, especially with all the false information that she said has been written about it.

There have in fact been some misunderstandings. For example, the government's coordinator for immigration, Maria Böhmer, a member of Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said Turkish groups had spread a false rumor that the law distinguishes between a "German Hans and a German Mehmet." A German citizen of Turkish origin, the Turks claimed, must demonstrate that he earns a living before being allowed to bring his wife to Germany from Turkey, a requirement that would not apply to an "ethnic German." This is incorrect -- the law would apply to both. Because of this sort of misinformation, Merkel wants to take steps to ensure that the law is properly understood.

"A Milestone in the History of Integration"

According to Merkel, the actual discussions at the second integration summit were "quite lively," revolving around the national integration plan that was developed in the past year, after the first summit. Six working groups that included representatives of the federal and state governments, communities and many non-governmental organizations compiled the 200-page report, which includes 400 commitments to make it easier for foreigners to integrate in Germany.

This is unprecedented. Merkel called the national integration plan "a milestone in the history of integration policy" and an "innovation that Germany may have never experienced before."

The commitments in the plan are meant to promote integration through a large number of individual actions. Trade unions, business, foundations and associations are to bear the largest share of the burden, with responsibility for 250 of commitments. Immigrant organizations are committed to 50 projects. Merkel's cabinet had already presented its share of the effort on Wednesday, which includes a commitment by the German government to:

• expand obligatory integration courses. Instead of the current 600 hours, immigrants will receive 900 hours of instruction in German language and culture.
• improve the integration of foreign women, the plan calls for significant improvements in childcare options during these courses.
• working together with German business, the government also plans to make it easier for young immigrants to learn a trade and enter the working world.
• the government also plans to place a stronger emphasis on the capacities of immigrant women and use women as "monitors of integration. "Women's rights are a special concern for us," Böhmer said.
• create an online help center for women threatened with the prospect of forced marriage.

Among other things, German cities have committed to hiring more immigrants for civil servant jobs. The group Turkish Community in Germany (TGD), which boycotted the summit, wants, among other things, to launch an education offensive for parents of Turkish origin. Under the plan, 100 education ambassadors would be sent into communities. According to Böhmer, "we achieve the greatest educational successes for children if we can also reach their parents."

Kolat wants discussion with Merkel

Vicente Riesgo of the Association of Spanish Parent Groups said Thursday's summit was "very constructive and objective." The immigrant representatives -- including, despite the boycott by the Turkish groups, 12 Turkish-Germans -- were given many more opportunities to voice their opinions than in last year's summit, Riesgo told SPIEGEL ONLINE. The boycott by the four Turkish groups was met with mixed feelings by other attendees," Riesgo said, adding: "In any event, we hope that they will attend the next time."

Merkel made it clear that the second summit will not be the last, and that the commitments announced at this year's event are more than empty promises. The third integration summit will take place in the fall of 2008, the chancellor said. At that meeting, the degree to which this year's commitments have been implemented will be measured on the basis of certain indicators.

Whether this year's boycotters will be back next year is still up in the air. Merkel's advice to them is to simply accept the invitation and show up. But that will depend in large part on whether Kenan Kolat, the chairman of the TCG, manages to restore order among the ranks of young Turkish Germans by then. If the new immigration law is not modified, Kolat told German newspaper Die Welt, he would have difficulty controlling them.

Kolat told SPIEGEL ONLINE that he is not opposed to a discussion with Merkel to clear the air. If the chancellor extends her olive branch, Kolat said, he plans to accept it.

On Friday, a prominent member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) also called for longterm immigrants to be bestowed with voting rights in community elections and also for a campaign to encourage them to seek to become naturalized German citizens. "It is inaliable that we improve communcal voting rights for foreigners who have long lived in Germany," said Sebastian Edathy, a SPD member of parliament who chairs the Bundestag's Domestic Affairs Committee.