In Germany, the new Dava party denies any link with Turkish President Erdogan’s AKP

This new party is aimed particularly at Muslims in Germany and denies any link with the Turkish Islamo-conservative party. While in Türkiye, the president is increasingly concerned with his diaspora. Our correspondents tell us the point of view of these two countries.

In Germany, a new party, called Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Renewal (Dava), has just seen the light of day in Cologne. UA group of Muslims, mainly Turkish, is at the origin of this party, which will present candidates for the European elections in June. Promoters of the Dava party in Germany deny any links with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, the AKP. However, Turkey is increasingly concerned about its diaspora, particularly the 3.5 million Turks residing in Germany.

Nearly 1.5 million Turks registered on German electoral lists

Until now, Turks in Germany have struggled to find their place in traditional parties. They would be rather conservative but feel unwelcome in the ranks of the Christian Democrats while the SPD, the social democratic party, or the Greens, more open on migration, seem too liberal on social issues.

Around 1.5 million people of Turkish origin are registered to vote in Germany. There will be more of them after the entry into force of the new nationality code, scheduled for the spring. It is primarily this reservoir of voices that Dava addresses.

It is a group of Muslims from the Cologne region, mainly Turkish, who are at the origin of this party. Some of them once belonged to the SPD. Josef Neumann, SPD member of the North Rhine-Westphalian parliament, remembers one of the founders, Fatih Zingal, a lawyer from Solingen. “His career is largely linked to the rise of Erdogan. We clearly see a certain admiration, a certain closeness, and I of course see that he is politically committed in this direction”says the SPD deputy.

“A Turkish version of the far-right AfD party”

Those concerned defend themselves against this proximity to the AKP of Turkish President Erdogan. “We are not manipulated by Mr. Erdogan, we are not financed by him or by the AKP in Turkey. It is true that among us there are people who have sympathy for the AKP and Erdogan. But we also have among us people who are not of Turkish origin.”explains Mustafa Yoldas, one of the founders.

On the German side, there is strong concern. Green MP Max Lucks believes that Dava is nothing more “only a Turkish version of the far-right AfD party”. Brandenburg Interior Minister asks intelligence services “to follow activities very closely” of this new party. A difficult start for Dava, who also hopes to run in the 2025 legislative elections.

Turks abroad can vote in national elections

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the first Turkish leader to take his diaspora seriously. It was he who first used the term diaspora in his speeches. Previously, the Turkish political class mainly saw its expatriates as sources of foreign currency. The current president has realized his electoral potential. He sees it as a way to push Turkey’s interests abroad and win the votes of nationalists, in a deeply polarized country.

Since coming to power 20 years ago, Erdogan has continued to strengthen ties with Turks abroad. One date remains in memory: February 8, 2008. He was then Prime Minister and he went on stage at the Arena in Cologne in front of 16,000 of his “citizens”. This is a first in the history of German-Turkish relations. That same year, a register of foreign voters was created by the supreme electoral council.

“Strong Diaspora, Strong Türkiye”

And since 2014, Erdogan has offered the possibility to nationals Turkish of abroad to vote in national elections. He reaped the first fruits in 2017 during the constitutional referendum which created the post of president and will lead to the concentration of all powers in his hands. And in the following elections, Turks in Germany overwhelmingly voted for his party.

With this Dava party, Turkey can hope to increase its influence on European politics, first during the European elections in June, then in Germany for the federal election next year. Moreover, the German law which will make it possible to obtain dual citizenship is welcomed by those in power. This is a long-standing wish of President Erdogan. He continues to call on European Turks to obtain citizenship of the country where they reside as soon as they can. And he likes to repeat a motto: “Strong Diaspora, Strong Türkiye”. Recep Tayyip Erdogan regularly praises the contribution of Turks to German society, for example during the discovery of the messenger RNA vaccine.