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A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 15 May 2017
High Turkish support for Erdogan in EU worries Europeans
GEORGE JAHN for Turkish-Islamic Cultural
Associated Press Unions in Europe, which
VIENNA (AP) — Ayhan reports to Ankara’s reli-
Ogelge lives in Austria. gious authorities and was
But his heart is in his Turkish named by Pilz as a key
homeland and beats for state-influencer of Austrian
its president, even as Eu- Turks, didn’t respond to re-
rope’s democracies raise quests for comment.
the alarm over the Turkish In Vienna, the sprawling
leader’s push toward one- Brunnenmarkt bazaar ap-
man rule. pears to be the most fertile
President Recep Tayyip ground for any Turkish state
Erdogan “speaks for all of outreach.
us,” says Ogelge, when Essentially a Turkish out-
asked why he voted to post, it provides life in the
strengthen his powers. “In comfort zone with the mini-
Austria, in Turkey — every- mum of forays into what for
where.” many is the strange world
Ogelge is far from alone. of Europe.
While nearly half overall The language here is Turk-
of those who voted last ish, as are the signs and the
month opposed a referen- enticing smells from the
dum giving Erdogan more food stalls. So are the tele-
power, many of the 1.4 mil- In this March 27, 2017 file photo people cast their votes for the referendum on the Turkish consti- vision programs beamed
lion votes cast in Europe tutional reform in Berlin, Germany. by state and pro-state
tell a different story. Associated Press networks loyal to Erdogan.
And holiday trips always
More than 70 percent vot- many supported the Turkish lead back to Turkey.
ed yes in Austria, the Neth- leader. Even when understood in
erlands and Belgium, and They speak of indoctrina- a community where many
more than 60 percent in tion — and intimidation — only speak Turkish, ques-
Germany and France. Crit- through a web of mosques, tions about Erdogan from
ics fear their endorsement social clubs and other or- outsiders are unwelcome
of Erdogan’s moves to- ganizations loyal to Erdo- here.
ward undisputed authority gan’s AKP party. A kerchiefed woman sell-
amounts to a rejection of Germany’s pro-European ing pastries frowns when
the Western democracies Turkish Community says asked what she thinks of
many Turks have lived in for many were led into think- the Turkish president. “No
decades. ing the question boiled time,” she mutters, turning
Reflecting deep polariza- down to “are you a Turk, or away. “Too much work.”
tion within Europe’s Turkish a traitor to the fatherland?” Another Turk a few stands
communities, most mem- Sevim Dagdelen of Germa- away is even curter. “No
bers refuse to discuss their ny’s Die Linke party speaks reporters,” he barks.
vote. Additionally, be- of manipulation by “Erdo- German migration re-
cause Austria doesn’t al- gan’s networks, his army of searcher Joachim Schulte
low dual citizenship in most informants and trolls.” Peter speaks of Turkish “ghet-
cases, Turks with Austrian Pilz of Austria’s Greens par- tos” distrustful of outsid-
and secretly held Turkish ty says Erdogan’s support ers where “nationalism is
passports won’t acknowl- in Europe was strongest strongly conserved and
edge they voted. “where there are powerful the contacts to Germans
“I’ve never experienced religious and political webs or Austrians are reduced to
such a climate of distrust,” financed and controlled a minimum.”
says publisher Birol Kilic, a by Ankara.” “Every-day communica-
first-generation Turkish im- Pilz notes that Erdogan lost tion occurs only in the
migrant with Austrian citi- in Sweden, Switzerland and home community,” he
zenship. “Even when I, a other countries with rela- says. “One remains in his
Turk, ask other Turks about tively small Turkish popu- own world here. Turkish
their vote here, I am met lations and weak Turkish brides are imported. And
with silence.” state-backed organiza- they never learn German
But Erdogan critics have tions. — no need, everything
ready answers to why so ATIB, the Turkish acronym
works fine in Turkish.”q
