Growing sympathy for Hamas ideology in Turkey
19.11.2018
Question for written answer E-005830-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Franz Obermayr (ENF)
Over the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that Turkish society and politics are becoming more sympathetic towards the ideology of the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas.
There is plenty of evidence: anti-Israeli protests in Turkey[1], collaboration between the Turkish Government’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and Islamist fringe groups outlined in the former’s newsletter[2], and the sight of the Turkish establishment making common cause with the pro-Palestinian movement through the setting-up of a Jerusalem Research Centre to support Palestinians at Marmara University in Istanbul[3], a university which was awarded an ECTS label by the Commission in 2012[4] and participates in the Erasmus+ Programme[5].
1. What view does the Commission take of Turkey’s anti-Israeli tendencies?
2. Istanbul University was accredited as part of the Bologna Process. Is the university research centre referred to above an institution which complies with accepted academic standards?
3. Does the Commission think that a university which runs research centres like this should be participating in the Erasmus+ Programme?
- [1] https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/antiisraelische-proteste-in-der-tuerkei-jerusalem-fuer.1783.de.html?dram:article_id=402717
- [2] http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/tuerkei-sendet-pilger-zum-jerusalemer-tempelberg-15423299-p3.html
- [3] https://www.dailysabah.com/education/2018/02/10/marmara-university-to-host-jerusalem-research-center
- [4] http://international.marmara.edu.tr/erasmus-programme/credit-recognition/
- [5] http://international.marmara.edu.tr/erasmus-programme/erasmus-policy-statement/