Activists and extremist politicians in France and Belgium have attacked Turkey's new family minister, Mahienur Götç, recalling her political background, as the first veiled female ambassador in Turkey's history and the first veiled European member of the Belgian parliament.

Le plus dingue, c'est que la gauche avait quand même réussi l'exploit de nous faire passer Mahinur Özdemir pour une musulmane « modérée », un exemple « d'intégration » à la belge! https://t.co/hBpwj6LD90

— Valerian Halsbury (@V_Halsbury) June 4, 2023

Nathalie Loiseau, a European member of the French Orizon party, claimed on her Twitter account that "Mahienour Göttaş's receipt of the family portfolio in Turkey means a real example of the Brotherhood's influence in Europe since it comes from the Belgian parliament."

Prenez une minute pour mesurer l'emprise des Frères musulmans et de la Turquie sur la vie politique en Europe: une ex-députée belge devient ministre de Recep Tayyip Erdogan. https://t.co/Y352jUTL6V

— Nathalie Loiseau (@NathalieLoiseau) June 4, 2023

To which activist Cory Leguin responded, "Have you written the same thing about Mrs. Salome Zurabishvili, who was the ambassador of France and is today the president of Georgia?"

Avez-vous écrit la même chose sur Madame Salomé Zourabichvili qui fut ambassadrice de France et qui aujourd'hui est présidente de la Géorgie ?

— Cory Le Guen (@coryleguen) June 4, 2023

Belgian journalist Jean-Pierre Martin said that Mahienour Gögtaş's arrival in the Belgian parliament as the first veiled woman in history was "a big mistake, lack of discernment and blindness by her Christian Democratic Center party."

Avoir fait ., en son temps , de Mahinur Ozdemir la première élue voilée ( CDH) était une faute, un manque de discernement, un aveuglement... https://t.co/Db887M70X6

— Jean-Pierre Martin (@JeanPie31094861) June 4, 2023

French lawyer and jurist Kylien Etienne explains the issue on his Twitter account: "It is the result of very clear tolerance regarding dual citizenship and different rights."

Conséquence d'une tolérance trop marquée à l'égard de la binationalité et des droit afférents. https://t.co/4PaAynQgY0

— Killian.Étienne.SL (@SlKillian) June 4, 2023

Who is Mahienur Özdemir Gögtç?

Mahinur Özdemir Gögtás was born in 1982, in Brussels, Belgium, to an immigrant family from the Turkish province of Konya.

She holds a bachelor's degree in human resources engineering from the University of Brussels and a master's degree in public administration, working in town planning, zoning, the environment, the housing problem and the fight against discrimination in the workplace.

In 2009, Özdemir became the first veiled female member of the Belgian parliament, and in 2015, she was arbitrarily expelled from her Christian Democratic Party (CDH) for refusing to define the Armenian Genocide as genocide.

Özdemir continued in politics as an independent MP until the end of her term in 2019, after which she left Belgian politics before becoming Turkey's ambassador to Algeria in January 2020.

On June 3, 2023, she was included in the new Turkish government announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where Mahienour is described as the "spiritual daughter" of President Erdogan.

Mahienour is fluent in Dutch, English and French, in addition to her native Turkish.