German-Turkish Associations Blasted for Erdogan Influence

Turkish protester holding sign against MP with Turkish roots who initiated Armenian Genocide Resolution in Bundestag, Cem Özdemir (Photo: Reuters/U. Bektas)

BERLIN (Deutsche Welle)””German MPs with Turkish roots have criticized Turkish associations in Germany for providing a platform for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Many are supported by the Turkish government and do not act independently.

The MPs say Erdogan’s influence goes beyond incendiary speeches in Ankara ”“ a number of Turkish organizations in Germany receive Turkish state support, and as such act as the foreign arm of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) was founded in 1984 as a branch of the Presidency of Religious Affairs in Ankara, which funds religious education in Turkey. It pays for Turkish imams to work in Germany. It also claims to represent 70 percent of Germany’s Muslims.

“The Erdogan government’s control of mosque unions in Germany leads to him increasingly misusing these unions as a mouthpiece for his despotic policies,”