AKP branch
The possible founding of a party close to Erdogan in Germany is causing criticism
The founding of an AKP branch in Germany is causing a stir
© ADEM ALTAN / AFP
An offshoot of Erdogan’s AKP party from Turkey could run in the European elections this summer. This is causing strong criticism across all parties in German politics.
The establishment of a German branch of the Turkish ruling party AKP has met with criticism. The background is a report from “Bild am Sonntag” about the founding of a “Turkish-Islamist party” called Dava (Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening). According to its own information, the newspaper has the founding declaration. There are four top candidates for the European elections Men named who previously worked for the Islamic conservative ruling party AKP by President Erdogan or their front organizations are said to have been active.
The Turkish news agency Anadolu reported, citing the founding manifesto, that the new party wanted to be a “strong voice for the politically underrepresented.”
Unlike national elections, there is currently no threshold for the European elections in Germany – i.e. a minimum threshold that must be overcome in order to be represented in the EU Parliament. Mathematically, less than one percent of the vote is enough to send a representative.
Sharp criticism from the Union, the Greens, the SPD and the FDP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to “disintegrate” people of Turkish origin in Germany and “build a parallel world,” said the President of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck, on Monday to the Welt TV channel. The AKP is trying to “divide our society.” Criticism also came from several parties.
The day before, SPD leader Saskia Esken told Welt-TV: “For me it is important that we make it clear to our fellow citizens of Turkish origin in Germany that Germany belongs together, that we are one people, that we will not allow that forces like these right-wing extremist networks are now coming close to power and want to deport migrants, but of course the divisive tendencies of Recep Tayyip Erdogan must not play a role here either.”
The Union took the founding of the party as an opportunity to renew its criticism of the planned reform of citizenship law. The CDU and CSU had “explicitly warned that easier dual citizenship would make it attractive to found an Erdogan branch in Germany,” wrote deputy parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn on Monday on X, formerly Twitter.
Erdogan’s party “the last thing we need”
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) made a similar statement after a cabinet meeting: “We think it’s wrong to now found parties that give the impression that German politics should be influenced from outside.”
Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) wrote on X: “An Erdogan offshoot running for elections here is the last thing we need.”
“This is a party that obviously wants to divide,” said FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr. “We should look for the political debate very clearly.” SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich was cautious: It remains to be seen whether the party will become relevant at all, he said.