T he recent terrorist attacks in Europe (killing of teacher in France, terrorist attack in Vienne and so on) intensified discussions on the threat of radical Islam as well as nationalist organizations, such as the Grey Wolves Turkish nationalist organization. In Europe, as a rule, the members of Grey Wolves organization act under the auspices of many cultural organizations. They are mainly located in Germany and Austria, however, their members also operate in the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

Didier Billion the Deputy Director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), notes that this nationalist movement was established in Austria and Germany, with much less representatives in France. Here they are concentrated in the Lyon region. It is about a small group, which in a period of extreme tensions can bring together a few radical youth.

According to researchers D. Pipes and Kh. Durán, as of 1993, there were 30 Islamic cultural centers in those countries under the management of the Grey Wolves, the vast majority of which were in Germany. They are in close relationships with Turkish Nationalist Movement Party, and according to some data, the number of supporters of this movement reaches 7000 only in Germany.

Currently, there are at least 20 thous. Turkish extremist nationalists in Germany and about 5 thous. in Austria, however the number of supporters grows. And they act under different structures.

Within this context, it should be noted that the investigation into the activities of the Grey Wolves group in the German Army has been going on for several years, as a result of which facts of cooperation between Bundeswehr soldiers and Turkish extremists were revealed. German specialists believe that the agents deployed in the country’s armed forces are in touch with the Turkish Special Services. In particular, the authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany talk about the alleged links between the German Grey Wolves and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

Members of this group are actively training in shooting ranges. Members of the Bundestag stated that the secret groups operating in Turkey are a great threat for Europe. Ulla Jelpke, representative of the Left Party faction in the Bundestag, notes that the Grey Wolves is headed by the Turkish special services and there is need to suppress illegal activities [1].

Since 2018, German politicians were planning to pass a law banning the use of Grey Wolves signs in Germany. In particular, it envisaged to ban the “wolf”-shaped greeting gesture, which reminds of a Nazi salute. In this regard, Christian Democrat Union’s (CDU) politician Christoph de Vries noted, that any form of fascism is inhuman and a threat to our liberal society.

According to German sources, the Federation of Turkish Democratic Idealist Association in Europe (ADÜTDF) or in short, the Idealists Federation established in 1978, in Frankfurt is the most influential structure in Germany under the auspices of which the Grey Wolves members act. According to German Intelligence data, about 7000 Turks are members of this organization and have about 170 offices in Germany [2]. It should be noted that in the 1980s, ADÜTDF was headed by Musa Serdar Çelebi, during the governing of whom, members of the Nationalist Movement Party, who had settled in Germany were included in the key positions of this structure.

Until 1987, the ideology of the federation was only nationalistic, chauvinistic Turkish, but when the structure was split on ideological grounds in the end of 1980s, ADÜTDF began to use extremist Islamic slogans.

As a result of the split, the so-called “Çelebi wing” established the second influential faction in Germany gathering the Grey Wolves, the Union of Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (TIKDB), the members of which were openly preaching Islam as an integral part of Turkish identity. According to the head of the organization, based on the data of 2019, it had 8000 members and 80 offices. German Intelligence notes, that besides these two organized structures, there are other like-minded groups of the Grey Wolves, which aren’t so well-organized and spread Turanism ideology through the internet, sowing hatred against Kurds, Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Americans.

As for Erdogan, these nationalist groups and other Turkish structures supporting him in Europe, have an important role in foreign policy purposes. Perhaps that was the reason, why he appointed Tugrul Turkes, the son of MHP founder Alparslan Turkes to the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey in 2016, who was supposed to deal with the Cyprus issue within its powers, with the coordination of Turkish communities abroad and in general, with the coordination of Diaspora. Erdogan also succeeded in establishing close relations with the representatives of the National Vision movement (Milli Görüş) in Germany [3]. National Vision has 514 institutions in Europe (323 of which in Germany), which includes from 100 thous. to 300 thous. Turkish citizens.

1. Cornell, Director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program, speaking about the above-mentioned and likewise organizations, notes: “This array of increasingly well-coordinated groups has come in the limelight lately, though not primarily because of the recent diplomatic rows over Turkish Ministers being denied entry to several European countries to campaign for diaspora votes. In fact, those rows appear to be more of a consequence of the deeper and more troubling allegations of illicit Turkish intelligence activity”.

Since November 4, the Grey Wolves were officially banned in France. Currently, feeling the threat from these structures and their members, the political circles of Germany and Austria are holding discussions on suspending or completely banning their activities.

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[1] https://armflot.ru/armii-mira/1839-turetskie-terroristy

[2] https://www.dw.com/tr/%C3%BClk%C3%BCc

[3] Е.Чулковская, Турецкая диаспора Германии: Между Анкарой и Берлином, М., 2014, с.14