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Erdogan ‘hand’ in Bulgaria: MRF and Turkish-born candidate

New Islamist political parties across Europe have been dubbed the new “Trojan Horses” of Erdogan.

Erdogan’s support for European parties has aligned itself with his interests and reinforced another trend in European politics: the rise of Islamist parties that support the integration of Islamic legal traditions into secular state law.

The Muslim Brotherhood has played a key role in this spread in Europe, as it has been very successful in its presence as a key representative of Muslim communities in various European countries. This influence is most visible in the Muslim Brotherhood-founded Federation of Islamic Organizations, which oversees dozens of organizations across Europe. Small parties, such as Belgium’s ISLAM, which wants to impose Sharia, have also raised concerns about the way Islamist parties prioritize religious law on their political platform.

A candidate of Turkish origin will run for the first time in the presidential elections in Bulgaria on Sunday.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) has nominated Mustafa Karadagi as its presidential candidate.

About six months ago, a party delegation went to Turkey to be “anointed” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Bulgaria on Sunday. Nearly 12,000 polling stations will be set up in the country, and Bulgarians living abroad, including in Turkey, will be able to vote in 775 polling stations.

Hassan Aziz, vice president of the MRF and mayor of Kardzhali, a province with a dense Muslim and Turkish population, called on citizens to vote wisely. As Azis could not speak Turkish during the campaign under Bulgarian election law, he spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) in Bulgarian.

He noted that for the first time in 32 years, a candidate of Turkish descent was nominated for the presidency: “This election is a historic moment for the democratic development of both our party and Bulgaria. We are in favor of our candidate. We look forward to this. “Support in Bulgaria as well as in Europe, the USA and Turkey, where Bulgarian citizens live,” Azis said.

Azis said the MRF has proven to be a nationally responsible political party since its inception and supports Bulgaria’s accession to NATO and the European Union.

“Of the 24 presidential and vice-presidential candidates in Bulgaria, only the MRF has nominated Karadagi and European Parliament member Iskra Mikhailova, also a Bulgarian of Turkish descent, as a symbol of the unity of our nation. Why not elect a Bulgarian T in Bulgaria? “Like Mustafa Karadagi? I think Bulgarian society and all of us are ready for that now,” he said.

Mumin Cavusoglu, a 70-year-old retired worker quoted by Anadolu, said Turks lived in captivity under ousted communist dictator Todor Zivkov decades ago: “May Allah bless the MRF. “People must have religious beliefs. They must recognize the rights of all. We, as Turks, want to live our Turkishness here as Turks,” Tsavousoglu said.

Petros Kranias

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Source From: Capital

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