German intelligence investigating four soldiers over Turkish neo-nationalist links

A German federal intelligence agency responsible for military counterintelligence has launched an investigation into four soldiers suspected of membership in Turkey’s neo-nationalist movement, T24 news site reported, citing German ARD network.

One soldier was found to be “deficient in loyalty to the German constitution,” while the other three were involved in “radical” efforts, according to the investigation by the Military Counter-intelligence Service, revealed following a parliamentary question submitted by Germany’s Left Party.

“There has been, for a long time, an extremist right-wing bandit group in Germany that is controlled by Turkish intelligence,” Left Party spokeswoman on domestic affairs Ulla Jelpke told ARD network.

Jelpke said she considers Turkish fascists groups a “big threat” to Germany, evidenced not just by their “cruel attacks, but their firearms training and competitive sporting practices.”

Turkey’s right-wing ultra-nationalist movement, called the Ülkücü movement, is politically represented by the country’s Nationalist Movement Party, a junior coalition partner to the ruling Islamist Justice and Development Party.

A street movement known as the “Grey Wolves,” once a notorious paramilitary arm of the MHP, is active in Germany, making up one of the country’s largest right-wing extremist organisations.