A new Turkish-linked party is entering the political arena in Germany, raising fears it will become a propaganda and influence tool for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening (Dava) is pledging to fight for “people with foreign roots” and to tackle anti-Muslim racism, as it prepares to stand at European elections in June.
With Germany home to a huge Turkish diaspora that has strongly supported Mr Erdogan in the past, the new party, which has links with Turkey’s ruling AKP, could mobilise some of the same voter base.
The party’s lead candidate, Fatih Zingal, is a former spokesman of the Union of International Democrats (UID), a Turkish umbrella group that German officials regard as close to the Ankara regime.
Number two on the European election list is Ali Ihsan Unlu, a former senior official in the mosque network Ditib, which oversees a network of almost 1,000 mosques with imams employed by the Turkish state.
These Turkish-linked groups acted as the “main mobilising agency” for the AKP during Mr Erdogan’s re-election campaign last year, said Inci Oyku Yener-Roderburg, an expert in diaspora politics at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
The fact that the new party’s founding members have backgrounds in the UID and Ditib mean “we can safely say that it is AKP-affiliated”, Ms Yener-Roderburg told The National.
This is not the first pro-Turkish party to exist in Germany. An Alliance for Innovation and Justice, which won 69,000 votes at European elections in 2019, was likewise regarded as close to Mr Erdogan.
However, Dava has made a bigger splash so far, with Mr Zingal relishing the front-page coverage it has received in mass-circulation newspaper Bild.
The party is pitching itself as “a new political home for the many citizens who are not being represented by the established parties,” said its chairman Teyfik Ozcan. A part-Iranian left-wing politician, Sahra Wagenknecht, recently founded another new party with a similar aim to pounce on voter discontent.
“Our aim is to clearly call out inequality and social biases for what they are, and ensure that people with foreign roots are granted their full rights,” Mr Ozcan said.
“These are the people who often feel that they are not fully valued members of European society when they look for housing, when they apply for jobs and in many everyday situations such as dealing with the authorities.”
Politicians in Germany have reacted with alarm to Dava’s entry into the arena. Agriculture Minister Cem Oezdemir, who is himself of Turkish heritage, said an “Erdogan offshoot that stands at elections here is the last thing we need”.
Senior conservative MP Jens Spahn said a pro-Erdogan movement would be “another extreme party in our country” as he called for curbs on Turkey’s influence in Germany.
Ms Yener-Roderburg said fears of Mr Erdogan influencing German policy were likely overblown, since Dava was unlikely to win more than the odd seat in elections.
Still, it could provide “propaganda material” for Mr Erdogan to be able to show off to a domestic audience in Turkey that “we are also in German politics”, she said.
Germany’s staunchly pro-Israel position during the war in Gaza could also lead to Dava “using this card” as a way to appeal to Muslim voters who support the Palestinian cause, she said.
Almost three million people in Germany have a Turkish background, many in the second or third generation of families who emigrated to West Germany under a “guest worker” scheme in the 1960s and 1970s.
More than 750,000 voted in last year’s Turkish election despite rules requiring people to cast their ballot in person at one of only 17 polling stations in all of Germany. About two-thirds of them voted for Mr Erdogan.
While not all are eligible to vote in German elections, the number could soon rise under a new citizenship law that relaxes rules on dual nationality and lowers hurdles for the guest-worker generation.
A conservative MP, Alexander Throm, was heckled in parliament as he raised fears the bill would lead to a pro-AKP electorate “bringing conflicts” into Germany.
“Most of those who have not yet applied for German citizenship come from the Turkish community. And most of those who live here support the AKP and Erdogan in their elections,” he said.
Dirk Wiese, an MP from Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, shot back by accusing Mr Throm of “mistrusting people of Turkish heritage”, saying he could just as easily object to German-Americans who support Donald Trump.
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
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Griselda
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Company%20Profile
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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
England v South Africa Test series:
First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs
Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs
Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31
Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
India Test squad
Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
RESULT
Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City: Jesus (9')
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
3%20Body%20Problem
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
