In some German cities, 77 percent of Turks living abroad voted for President Erdogan in the Turkish election. Experts see a major role for the mosque associations Ditib and IGMG.
Essen – Turks living abroad voted primarily for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP in the Turkish elections. Erdogan's worst result was 49 percent in Berlin. In all other polling stations in Germany, Erdogan received a good 60 percent or more. In Essen, 77.4 percent of Turks living abroad voted for the Turkish president. The situation was similar in other European countries.
AKP lobby in Germany has been preparing for Turkish elections for two years
The election campaign events of the AKP lobby association UID (Union of International Democrats), which have been going on for about two years, have thus borne fruit. "It's no surprise that Erdogan was able to win 65 percent of the votes cast in Germany again. He started his election campaign very early on and conducted a very intensive and effective election campaign, even if the German public hardly noticed it. Therefore, I am not surprised by Erdogan's very good result," said the chairman of the State Association of Liberal Diversity Berlin, Eren Güvercin, the FR.de of IPPEN. MEDIA. Above all, the large mosque associations Ditib and IGMG (Milli Görüs) played a major role, he said.
Erdogan can thank Ditib for its high share of the vote in Germany
" Erdogan can thank Ditib for his access to the communities and for allowing him to campaign so freely in numerous mosques of Ditib," said Güvercin. Nationalism among Turks living abroad also plays a major role in the elections in Turkey. "We have to soberly state that the völkisch nationalism of Erdogan, whom he also legitimizes religiously, is well received by broad sections of the Turkish electorate in Germany."
German-Turks in Duisburg celebrate after the Turkish elections. © Christoph Reichwein/dpa
"This is a challenge for us as a society, which we must also perceive as such and no longer sweep under the carpet." Güvercin believes that Erdogan will continue to try to influence society in Germany through his clientele and the well-known structures.
Ditib and IGMG long arm of Ankara
The german-Turkish journalist Süheyla Kaplan takes a similar view in an interview with our editorial team. "In particular, we see that Ankara's long arm Ditib, IGMG other mosques have a direct influence on the German-Turks. For the AKP, which makes use of the entire structures of the state, voters abroad seem to be child's play." Kaplan believes it will be a long time before many of Erdogan's supporters vote for a party that advocates secularism, women's rights and minority rights.
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Support for Erdogan and AKP lobby from German politicians
There was also support for the AKP lobby from German politicians. The mayor of Salzgitter, Frank Klingebiel (CDU), had invited people to break the fast. In addition to representatives of Ditib and IGMG, representatives of the Turkish nationalists, the so-called Grey Wolves, were also present, with whom a group photo was also taken. The mayor of Remscheid, Burkhard Mast-Weisz (SPD), meets several times a year for a "round table" with the mosques, including representatives of the Ditib, IGMG and also the Grey Wolves.
In Nuremberg, the AKP lobby was allowed to put up advertising posters with the pictures of Erdogan. Both Nuremberg's Lord Mayor Marcus König (CSU) and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) met with Ditib representatives and the AKP lobby at the joint breaking of the fast.
