As a Turkish, I applied for a job which was specifying "internationals are welcome." After a two-month review process, I was invited for an online interview. Interview was nice in overall. First, they presented their work, and then described the position and what they expect from me if I would be selected. They wanted me to introduce myself and talk about my career briefly. Then, they asked one quiz question. The guys who I interviewed were so polite and informative. Two weeks later, they sent me an email stating that I am accepted for the position. Then, we continued to discuss the details by several emails in the next couple of days. We fixed the starting date. To clarify the salary level, they contacted with the administration, and I was asked to send my diplomas to them. After they mentioned that the documents are very helpful, I got an email stating that I cannot be considered for the position with the following explanation: "The DLR is highly committed to protecting freedom of science and research. Nonetheless, we are obliged to ensure compliance with legal provisions. As a national research institution, we are subject to export control and security regulations. DLR must comply with all applicable export control laws and regulations, which also apply to release or disclosure of technology and technical data. The German and international authorities enforce embargos and sanction programs that prohibit certain activities without a government license." I asked what does it mean, and is this because of my nationality or not. The guys who I interviewed and also emailed told me that they also don't know the reasons at all, and they apologized for the situation. In the end, I did not get the job. I am very disappointed and upset about the process. Although they knew my nationality from the beginning, I have been discriminated against by a person (or some people) in DLR administration. The whole process took one month, and with a lot of efforts, and ended suddenly without any reasonable explanations. I still cannot believe this happened in DLR which is one of the biggest institutes globally.
