German intelligence investigating four soldiers over Turkish neo-nationalist links
A German federal intelligence agency responsible for
military counterintelligence has launched an investigation into four soldiers
suspected of membership in Turkey’s neo-nationalist movement, T24 news site
reported, citing German ARD network.
One soldier was found to be “deficient in loyalty to
the German constitution,” while the other three were involved in “radical”
efforts, according to the investigation by the Military Counter-intelligence
Service, revealed following a parliamentary question submitted by Germany’s
Left Party.
“There has been, for a long time, an extremist
right-wing bandit group in Germany that is controlled by Turkish intelligence,”
Left Party spokeswoman on domestic affairs Ulla Jelpke told ARD network.
Jelpke said she considers Turkish fascists groups a
“big threat” to Germany, evidenced not just by their “cruel attacks, but their
firearms training and competitive sporting practices.”
Turkey’s right-wing ultra-nationalist movement,
called the Ülkücü movement, is politically represented by the country’s
Nationalist Movement Party, a junior coalition partner to the ruling Islamist
Justice and Development Party.
A street movement known as the “Grey Wolves,” once a
notorious paramilitary arm of the MHP, is active in Germany, making up one of
the country’s largest right-wing extremist organisations.
