the Gray Wolves, these ultranationalists who want to “keep Erdogan in power”

The man greets his friends at the other end of the street by forming a wolf’s head with his fingers. The middle finger and the little finger join the thumb as a sign of recognition for these ultranationalists of the MHP party who proudly define themselves as the “Grey Wolves”. “A gray wolf is a person who loves his homeland, his nation, leaving aside his personal interests”, he explains.

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This activist no longer votes for his party, he turned to that of Recep Erdogan and that suits the Turkish president, at the head of the country for 20 years. The Head of State, who hopes to win a third term on Sunday May 14, needs these Gray Wolves to be in the majority at the end of the presidential election. A back-up force in a way. Nothing to bother this activist, who sees himself as a savior of the head of state: “If Turkish nationalists had not supported Erdogan during the 2016 coup attempt, he would never have been able to stay in power”.

“A problem with Syrians who do not work”

In this position, the Gray Wolves intend to influence decisions in the event of the re-election of the Turkish president. Another member of this group tells us that he hopes that Recep Erdogan will settle the issue of Syrian refugees. Well, not all Syrian refugees: “We have no problem with the Syrians who are here, who work. But we have a problem with the Syrians who are in Turkey but who do not work. They are vagrants who disturb us in the street. It’s been a year that we have started to send them back little by little, but it is not enough”.

“The concern is that many Syrians have been registered by the authorities. They have papers. They are therefore more peaceful in Turkey”.

A gray wolf

at franceinfo

These 3.5 million Syrians are, according to him, responsible for the economic crisis in Turkey. But not sure that Recep Erdogan wants to hear the ultranationalists. During a recent intervention, the president specified that these refugees had to be treated with humanity, at the risk of disappointing some of these Gray Wolves.