The Turks of Germany, the elections and President Erdogan

The elections in Turkey that resulted in another victory for President Erdogan were closely watched in Germany, home to the largest Turkish diaspora. Supporters of the newly re-elected winner celebrated his victory in the streets of several major German cities. The Turkish president won the support of two-thirds of voters in that country. A success that arouses criticism in Germany.

Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate his victory with Turkish flags in northern Duisburg, Germany, Sunday, May 28, 2023. AP - Christoph Reichwein

Text by: Pascal Thibaut Follow

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from our correspondent in Berlin,

A majority of Turkish immigrants to Germany are from Anatolia where President Erdogan's AKP party is well established. It is often conservative and religious people who find themselves in the values defended by the Turkish president. Values passed on to the younger generations.

This is reflected in the regional vote. In Berlin, where the Turkish community is more diverse with Kurds or political opponents of Erdogan, the re-elected president did not cross the 50% mark on Sunday 28 May. In the city of Essen, on the other hand, he won almost 80% of the vote. Moreover, the AKP, more than the opposition, is well established in the organizations and other mosques of the diaspora.

The Turkish media, sometimes with German editions, are very followed, and as in Turkey, close to the government. Finally, there is an identity reflex exploited by Erdogan: the nationalist card, which he plays, speaks to his fellow citizens in Germany who do not always feel well accepted.

Fewer voters than supporters

But this important support of the Turks in Germany for President Erdogan and his party must be qualified. To say that Turks in Germany are two-thirds Erdogan's supporters is a bit short. Of the three million people who come from this country, half do not have Turkish citizenship and therefore cannot participate in the elections.

Moreover, turnout was only 50% among the 1.5 million Turkish voters in Germany. On arrival, 500,000 people out of three million voted for President Erdogan. But of course, this does not mean that non-voters do not support the Turkish head of state.

Unease in German politics

However, this support for the Turkish president has sparked criticism and even controversy. And not necessarily only in the conservative camp. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, himself of Turkish origin, reacted on Twitter with his words: "Let's be honest with ourselves: those Erdogan supporters who celebrate his victory in our streets are at the same time expressing their rejection of our democracy. Like the far right. This should worry us." The president of the German Turkish community criticized a reaction that would strengthen Erdogan's supporters in their support for the Turkish president as well as their sense of being unaccepted in German society.

On the right, the vote of the Turkish diaspora is used to denounce the reform of the government which should allow faster naturalizations and dual nationality. The tabloid daily Bild ran a headline yesterday: "Will many Erdogan supporters become Germans?

>> READ ALSO: Germany-Turkey: the presidential election seen by German elected officials of Turkish origin

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