Berlin: Open your eyes at last to the dangers of Erdogan’s ideological agenda! – A pressing appeal from Turkey expert Eren Güvercin

When Turkish President Erdogan finds himself cornered, he instinctively reverts to the enemy images cherished by his Islamist and nationalist base. This was again evident on Sunday, when massive protests erupted over Erdogan’s transparent judicial sidelining of his main rival, the popular opposition politician and Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu. These protests prompted Erdogan to deliver a virulently antisemitic speech at the Büyük Camlica Mosque in Istanbul.

In a commentary for the Jüdische Allgemeine (April 1, 2025), Turkey expert Eren Güvercin writes that since Hamas’s terror attacks on October 7, Erdogan has repeatedly targeted the Jewish state of Israel. “May Allah destroy Zionist Israel!” he pleaded in front of thousands of mosque-goers, who responded in unison with “Amin.”

Yet, Güvercin does not interpret Erdogan’s mosque performance simply as a diversionary tactic amidst national unrest. “That’s not his real motive.” Instead, the commentator points explicitly to Erdogan’s spiritual mentor: Necmettin Erbakan, the central leader of Turkish Islamism. Within Erbakan’s ideology (Milli-Görüş), antisemitism and hatred of Israel are foundational pillars. “Erdogan’s antisemitism and Israel-hatred, openly displayed since the October 7 terror attack, are the direct result of this ideological indoctrination by Erbakan.”

For Güvercin, it is crystal clear: Erdogan doesn’t just instrumentalize hatred against Jews and Israel for immediate political gain—he is an ideological perpetrator by conviction. “His obsession with Israel’s destruction is not merely political rhetoric but deeply rooted in an Islamist ideological belief. It’s no coincidence that, alongside Iran’s mullah regime, Erdogan is among the foremost supporters of the terrorist organization Hamas.”

The commentator also highlights Erdogan’s dreams: ambitions of a new greater Turkey, stretching far beyond its current borders, and of Islamic unity under his personal leadership. The greatest obstacles to these dreams are Israel, the West, and the shadowy powers he imagines are controlled by “the Jews.” Güvercin notes: “Anyone who stands in the way of Erdogan’s holy mission—whether domestic opposition or foreign actors—is portrayed as a puppet of ‘Crusaders,’ ‘Jews,’ or ‘Zionists.’ The Turkish propaganda media have promoted this worldview of an alleged Jewish conspiracy against Erdogan for years.”

Europe similarly refused to see the dangers of Putin’s imperial ambitions due to cheap Russian gas. According to Güvercin, Europe has made the same mistake with Turkey over the past fifteen years, resulting in a migration and security policy more dependent on Turkey than ever. Meanwhile, Europe remains passive in the face of Imamoglu’s arrest, Erdogan’s numerous antisemitic tirades, and his open support for Hamas.

This passivity is risky, the commentator concludes. Erdogan’s dangerous politics are not limited to Turkey itself. Consider the sizable Turkish diaspora throughout various European countries—a significant reservoir of Erdogan’s voters. Güvercin rightly underscores: Erdogan’s Islamist narratives “are effective here in Germany as well.” The same certainly applies to the Netherlands.

To underscore his warning, Güvercin describes the scene from Erdogan’s speech at the Büyük Camlica Mosque: “During his hate-filled speech on Sunday, praying openly for Israel’s destruction, Erdogan stood beside Ali Erbaş, court theologian and head of Turkey’s official religious authority, Diyanet. This Ali Erbaş not only provides religious legitimacy for Erdogan’s antisemitism; he is also the religious authority for DITIB (the influential Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs) in Germany, serving as the top employer of its imams. He controls and guides this ostensibly German religious community, clearly a branch of Turkey’s Diyanet.”

In short, Erdogan’s reach extends deeply into Germany and Europe. Commentator Eren Güvercin therefore urges Berlin to adopt a new Turkey policy. The current so-called “Realpolitik” has failed precisely because it has ignored Erdogan’s ideological agenda. However, whether the eyes of Germany’s intended coalition partners will truly open to this Turkish threat—from within and without—would verge on a political miracle.

Source: Commentary by Eren Güvercin, founder of the “Alhambra-Gesellschaft – Muslims for a Pluralistic Europe,” published in the Jüdische Allgemeine, April 1, 2025, under the title “Erdogans Vernichtungswahn ist keine blosse Rhetorik.”