On 29 January 2024, EURACTIV reported that the Turkish AKP party, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, plans to participate in the European Elections in Germany through its affiliate, the Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening (Dava). This move, highlighted by the presence of four candidates with ties to Erdoğan’s AKP or its support organizations, has raised concerns among high-ranking German politicians about the potential expansion of Turkish influence within the EU. Figures such as Green Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir and CDU Deputy Leader Jens Spahn have criticized the development, indicating it could worsen the political climate in Germany. The German political landscape faces further fragmentation with the influx of new parties, including Dava, due to the European Election’s absence of a 5% electoral threshold. This scenario mirrors the 2019 European Election, where small parties achieved representation in the European Parliament despite minimal national support. The participation of these new parties is seen by some, like FDP’s Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, as a challenge to European unity amid increasing foreign and domestic pressures.
GlobalFebruary 15 2024, 10:18 am
Erdoğan’s AKP Party to Participate in German Elections Through Surrogate
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