Milli Görüs, Germany’s largest Islamic association, recently gained the official support of the Turkish government, despite being watched by German intelligence services due to alleged extremist leanings. On April 19, Turkey’s religious-conservative government ordered its embassies to offer the Islamische Gemeinschaft Milli Görüs (IGMG) their support. The group, formed in 1985 in Cologne to support Turkish nationalism and oppose the separation of state and religion, has long been criticized by German officials as being anti-Semitic and against liberal Western values. Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül on Saturday refused to discuss his specific directions to diplomats regarding Milli Görüs, saying only the government “has for some time tried to strengthen the ties between our country and our citizens overseas.” The decision comes only two weeks after an agreement between Germany and Turkey on combating organized crime incensed many members of Turkey’s ruling AK party because it included Milli Görüs with groups like the Kurdish terrorist outfit PKK. Since many AK members have ties to Islamic religious groups, Gül was compelled to say he did not consider Milli Görüs a terror organization. Full Story
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