Türkiye’s National Intelligence Academy has published an analysis titled “The Far Right in Germany: The Representation Crisis of Liberal Democracy.” Written by the academy’s Baki Laleoğlu, it highlights the dual nature of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s approach to Türkiye.
According to the analysis, the AfD maintains that Türkiye “does not belong to Europe culturally” while at the same time describing it as “an important strategic and economic partner,” shifting relations toward selective areas such as trade, migration, security, energy and regional crisis management.
The analysis argues that this reflects not only contradictions in AfD rhetoric but a broader tension in Europe’s relations with Türkiye: while Türkiye is placed outside Europe politically and culturally, its geography, economic capacity, defense industry and regional influence are strategically important, and Europe’s drive to build its own defense capacity and reduce security dependence on the US increases the value of cooperation with Ankara.
It describes the far right’s rise in Germany as a “consequence, not a cause” of the erosion of liberal democracy and says the problem cannot be solved by legal measures alone.