He has been described as "Germany's Obama", and as he campaigned to become the country's first ethnic Turk to be elected leader of a major political party; the Green Party of Germany.

Whether the Obama factor helped or not, the son of a Turkish immigrant - who describes himself as a secular Muslim not averse to the odd glass of vodka - won the leadership of the country's Green Party this month, shattering a racial barrier that had held sway in post-war Germany for decades.  I used to live in Germany, and trust me, German's have for years not liked the Turks who have come to their country.  This is a huge deal, as big as when Obama won the nomination here in the US.

As Green Party leader, Mr Ozdemir, will be able to play a major role in german politics.

His parents arrived in Germany's southern state of Baden-Württemberg in the early 1960s as "Gastarbeiter" or guest workers. They came at the invitation of the German government in search of well-paid jobs and although they intended to return to Turkey, like millions of others, they stayed.

Germany's 2.7 million Turks are the country's biggest ethnic minority. But decades of policy has kept many in the ghetto. Less than a quarter have German passports, and therefore, a vote.