“I hope that all Turks in the Netherlands who voted for the Islamofascist Erdogan will now pack their bags and move to Turkey. Byeiii!” Tweeted the controversial Dutch politician. His tweet received widespread support from anti-Erdoğan Turks in Turkey.
Many Turks living in Turkey have expressed resentment towards their compatriots residing in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, where 70% of the votes in the recent Turkish presidential elections were cast for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
They are frustrated that these overseas voters can help determine the future of a country they don’t live in and won’t directly experience the consequences of their electoral choices.
Seeing the massive positive feedback from Turks in Turkey, the Dutch MP Geert Wilders tweeted:
“Get a lot of responses from Turkey. People are desperate and disappointed that Erdoğan remains president. They are furious that Turks abroad – including in the Netherlands – have determined the future of Turkey with their vote for Erdogan, while they do NOT live there themselves. They are right!”
Over the past decade, it has been observed that the voting patterns of Turks living in Europe, including the Netherlands, have often aligned with President Erdoğan.
One direct consequence of Erdogan’s policies has been the devaluation of the Turkish lira against the Euro. Although it may not be the primary motivation for their support, this economic situation does benefit Turks living in Europe by increasing their purchasing power when investing in Turkey or visiting for holidays. Luxury items, such as vehicles—which are sold at standard prices in Europe—have become increasingly unaffordable for the upper-middle-class in Turkey due to high taxes and the exchange rate.
RESENTMENT
A video went viral on social media of a Turkish citizen confronting an Erdoğan supporter visiting Turkey in his luxurious BMW with a license plate from Germany.
“I cannot afford this vehicle in Turkey because of you!”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=9IdOeMWp9Rc%3Fautoplay%3D0%26mute%3D0%26controls%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.mediabezirgan.com%26playsinline%3D1%26showinfo%3D0%26rel%3D0%26iv_load_policy%3D3%26modestbranding%3D1%26enablejsapi%3D1%26widgetid%3D1
WILDERS’ MESSAGE RESONATES WITH TURKS IN TURKEY
His tweet made headlines in Turkey, and one of them received more than 6 million views.
“Last week I proposed that Turks who voted for Islamist Erdogan in the Netherlands should be sent to Turkey. So that they can experience the disastrous consequences of their voice FOR THEMSELVES. Received a lot of support from Turks from Turkey…” Wilders tweeted.
While some were skeptical about how sending back people who cast their votes for a certain candidate was not at odds with the name of the party, ‘Freedom Party,’ the overwhelming responses were as follows:
“Send them all back, show no mercy. We expect such sanctions from Germany as well.”
While some responses were direct, some were communicated through sarcasm.
“They must’ve missed their home country, I agree it’s time to end this yearning. What are they doing living in a country that permits gay marriage, where LGBT is so prevalent!!! Send them back here 🥰 “
“I expect similar measures from leaders of Germany and Austria as well. They really deserve to live under their leader’s laws and rules with a democratic point of view.”
“Send all the Turks in Germany back to Turkey. They need to live to understand why they shouldn’t vote for Erdogan. The economy is truly horrible.’
“You are so right. When they visit Turkey they insult you. ‘We took away the jobs of the Dutch, we haven’t met anyone more foolish than them’ they say. Send them all back here. Everything is wonderful here. We live in abundance.”
