"The Erdogan Party secures victories in six Duisburg voting districts"
The up-and-coming party Dava experienced notable triumphs in the European elections, winning first place in six districts - twice with a large margin. However, these achievements may not accurately reflect the power of the party due to a peculiar situation.
In several Duisburg voting precincts, the party "Alliance for Diversity and Renewal" (Dava) emerged as the most prominent force in the European elections, according to "Die Welt." The outcome is bittersweet for the fledgling party, which holds ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: voter turnout was dismally low in each instance.
In the Duisburg precincts 1001 and 0602, Dava secured first place in the European elections with 41% and 43% of the votes, respectively. In the first precinct, the AfD took second with 14%, and in the second precinct, the Left Alliance (BSW) settled for 12%. In the precinct 0603, Dava garnered 28.7% and took the win. In the precinct 0606, it was again first with 24.7%. Dava also led the pack in precinct 1104 with 22.5% and in precinct 2904 with 21.5%.
Yet, these results only apply to a select few. The extremely low voter turnout of around 10% in precinct 1001 resulted in a 41% victory with 90 votes, and in the precinct 0602, 47 votes were enough for Dava's 43% win. These precincts are situated in the city districts of Meiderich-Beeck and Hamborn. Twenty-nine percent of the residents in Duisburg have a migration background, as per the city.
Nevertheless, this is an exceptional case. Regarding the broader perspective, these accomplishments diminish the party's achievements dramatically: In the Duisburg-Marxloh city district, the party came in second with 17% and 221 votes, with the AfD emerging victorious at 20%. In the Meiderich-Beeck city district, Dava settled at 5.3% with 928 votes. Duisburg consists of 323 voting precincts. Dava accounts for a meager 2.5% across the city, equivalent to 4,276 votes out of 321,610 eligible voters and 172,477 cast votes. They fail to secure a seat in the European Parliament with this. The nationwide share for Dava stands at 0.4%. The organization launched in early 2024 and competed in its inaugural nationwide election.
The party identifies as a voice for people with migration backgrounds, principally Muslims, in Germany. It advocates for a "more favorable representation of Islam," pushes for Turkish to be included as an additional foreign language, and emphasizes the significance of traditional family arrangements. Opponents allege that Dava is in league with the Turkish ruling party AKP and perceive it as an extension of President Erdogan's reach in Germany.
The CDU member of the German Bundestag, Serap Güler from North Rhine-Westphalia, likens Dava to the AfD: "The MRPB peddles a victim narrative similar to the AfD, proclaiming that Turks in Germany are being sidelined." The leading figures of the DAV have a tangled past, displaying connections to prohibited organizations. For example, the leading candidate Fatih Zingal served as a spokesperson for the "Union of International Democrats" (UID). This group has been under the surveillance of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution since 2017 as it is perceived to be connected to the Turkish government.
The third on the candidate list, Mustafa Yoldaş, is also no stranger to an outlawed organization, having previously presided over the "International Humanitarian Aid Organization" (IHH). The group was proscribed in 2010 for financially supporting the terrorist organization Hamas. Yoldaş was also a member of the "Islamic Community Milli Görüş" (IGMG). This movement, per the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, aims to transform Germany's political system in favor of an Islamic fundamentalist and moral order.
Read also:
In the discussions following the European elections, some questioned the significance of Dava's victories in Duisburg due to the low voter turnout. Despite winning first place in six Duisburg districts, its overall influence in the city is limited, with only 2.5% of the vote across 323 precincts.
Interestingly, Dava's strong performance in the European elections was not replicated in other parts of Duisburg, such as the Marxloh city district, where it came in second with 17%. Critics have accused Dava of having ties to the Turkish ruling party AKP and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, like its leading figure Fatih Zingal, who had served as a spokesperson for the "Union of International Democrats" under surveillance by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Despite these controversies, Duisburg's election results highlight the importance of immigrants and people with migration backgrounds in German politics, as Dava identified as a voice for such groups in Germany.
