French investigation reveals Erdogan's involvement in spreading extremism

The government-funded French Channel 2 said that Erdogan “used Turkish society in France to spread his ideas that combine national and religious extremism,” according to Sky News Arabia.

The channel explained, through an investigation published as part of the famous investigation program "Further investigation", that Erdogan "is trying to exercise his influence over the Turkish diaspora in Europe through strong political, educational and religious networks," especially since France embraces on its territory about 700 thousand Turkish residents and French of Turkish origin.

The French investigation indicated that the verbal war that broke out between Macron and Erdogan in the wake of the terrorist attacks on France last October, made Ankara move on French soil through the "Gray Wolves" group.

The French documentary revealed a mysterious figure behind the leadership of the "Gray Wolves" called "Ahmed Cetin," a 23-year-old Frenchman of Turkish origin, who used to work as a maintenance worker, and quickly turned into a symbol of the "Gray Wolves" and one of Erdogan's enthusiastic supporter in France.

The investigation indicated that Cetin was previously sentenced to suspended prison terms in a case related to spreading hate on social media, as he stated that he was asking the Turkish government for "a salary and a weapon to do what needs to be done in France."

The French Channel 2 investigation also touched on Turkish control of hundreds of mosques in France, especially through the salaries that Ankara pays for the imams of 150 mosques, as it is training them on its territory, "not only influencing the French interior, but controlling the Turkish diaspora and opposing government opponents."

The investigation said that Ankara also sends Turkish teachers to French public schools, as part of a system called "ALICO" in agreement with Paris, which authorizes it to teach the Turkish language in public schools, targeting nearly 14,000 primary school students, but France recently expressed Its annoyance with the Turkish language courses that Ankara exploited by converting it into religious lessons according to a certain understanding of Islam that serves its interests.

On November 5, Paris decided to dissolve the "Gray Wolves" movement, due to its promotion of hatred and violence on French soil.

J.O