German Green Party meddles in Turkey, urging vote against Erdogan
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The Green Party's statement asks for the Kurdish question to be open and resolved through dialogue, as it also calls for the fight for democracy, rule of law, equality, and human rights in Turkey and the release of political prisoners.
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Emily Buning, the Greens party Federal Political Director, poses with party politician Omid Nouripour during a Party Congress in Berlin, Germany, on January 29, 2022 (Reuters)
The Green Party of Germany, a green political party led by German MPs Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour, urged Turkish voters living in Turkey and abroad to "join the democratic transformation process" in the upcoming May 14 elections in Turkey.
In what appears to be an attempt at meddling in internal Turkish affairs, the Green Party released a statement stressing the significance of strengthening relations with Turkey as a result of Germany being home to more than 3 million people from Turkey, while at the same time calling for people to vote against Erdogan. Its co-leader, Nouripour, asked for the Kurdish question to be open and resolved through dialogue.
"We want to further strengthen our relations with a democratic Turkey following the elections,” said the statement, as the party called for the fight for democracy, rule of law, equality, and human rights in Turkey. The party even called for the release of political prisoners.
The party's remarks come amid a dire time in Turkey as religious-oriented President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which the Green Party is trying to portray as authoritarian and anti-democratic, is facing off against opposition candidate and Western-leaning Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Read next: Turkish, German foreign ministers engage in row in Istanbul
The statement said: “Turkey, which has been under Erdogan's authoritarian rule for many years, has a great chance to restore democracy and the rule of law with the parliamentary and presidential elections. We kindly ask voters in Germany and Turkey to go to the polls and participate in the democratic transformation in the country.”
Recently, Germany and Turkey, which have a long history and go way back, have been in strife over the issue of Greece. Back in October, on the first day of an official visit to Athens, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Turkish claims to sovereignty over Greek islands.
Scholz said, as quoted by Greek daily Ta Nea, that it was "not acceptable" for a NATO member to question the sovereignty of another member. He also slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his senior officials for making "more or less veiled military threats" to Greece at the time.
Read more: Greece highlights ‘positive turn’ in ties with Ankara
