(AFP) A group of Germans with Turkish roots have formed a political group to contest the European elections, sparking fears it could be a vehicle for Turkey’s president to expand his influence in the EU.
Since its founding late last year, the group, DAVA, has come under intense scrutiny over its alleged links to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party.
In an interview with AFP, DAVA fiercely denied any connection, saying its main aim was to attract minorities with migrant backgrounds who currently feel unrepresented.
“We are not an offshoot of the (ruling party) AKP in Turkey, we are not the extended arm of Erdogan,” Fatih Zingal, a lawyer and founding member of the Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening, told AFP.
