European Countries Don’t Want Turkish Election Rallies. Turkish Minority Thinks it is a Universal Democratic Right

Turkish Germans said early election process of Turkey will be a litmus test for the European democracy, pointing out that holding election rallies are universal democratic rights and the European governments should not block this right.

Many EUropean Union countries did not allow Turkish governing party AKP officials to hold election meetings before the last voting in Turkey. The Netherland security forces intercepted Turkish people with armed police and dogs when Turkish Family Minister Fatma Betul Kaya was trying reach Turkish Consulate General in Rotterdam to hold a meeting before the crucial referendum in Turkey last year. The night ended with expulsion of the Turkish minister and eventually the relations between Turkey and the Netherlands fell apart.

A Dutch police dog bit a Turkish man during police intervention

Turkish president Erdogan announced on Wednesday that the country would hold snap elections on June 24th. For European countries, the debate of Turkish election rallies started right away. German Deutsche Welle published a piece saying Germany does not want spill over problems of a Turkish election. The usual interviewees of anti-Turkish news, the Green Party’s Cem Ozdemir and Sevim Dagdelen from the Left Party both expressed anti-Turkey stance and both said to oppose Erdogan supporters holding rallies in Germany. However, both Politicians failed to mention that terrorist PKK related groups hold rallies in every corner of Germany as they wish.

First solid reaction at a leader level came, however, from Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurtz. Kurts said he does not want Turkish election rallies in Austria.

Abidin D says June 24th election period of Turkey will be a litmus test for European democracies

Turkish Germans on Keup Strasse of Cologne sent democracy messages to the governments of Europe. 78 years old former football player Abidin D said the European countries keep bragging about their democratic standards and this election period will show the true face of European democracies. Another man in Keup strasse who did not provide his name fearing oppression because he works with the municipality said European politicians are holding election rallies in other countries, so why don’t they let Turkish counterparts to hold the here?

Ahmet Hamdi Sisman