Turkish national socialists target woman activist over claims of "foreign support"

A Turkish daily affiliated with the national-socialist Patriotic Party targeted a woman activist who is currently heading the Solidarity Office to Fight Poverty, an initiative supported by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

The daily headlined Hacer Foggo, who have been carrying out researches on poverty for many years, almost solely over the funds allegedly provided to the organization she is heading by US-based institutions.

A former CHP official was cited, anonymously, saying:

"This woman is an interesting one. They have very good relations with foreigners. She had run in the elections as a CHP candidate, but she was low down on the list of candidates. She has suddenly become visible recently. It seems like some people opened a path for her (...) She is Kilicdaroglu's latest favorite. Some say she's from the 'American quota.' I don't know if it's true. But the number of these types have been increasing in the party."

Noting that an association Foggo co-founded had listed among its financial supporters the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the daily said that the foundation "also supported bianet," which it said "is known for its reports against Turkey."

The daily had targeted Foggo earlier in mid April with a sarcastic headline, 'Poverty will be solved by fund-friendly Foggo,' as it said the association co-founded by Foggo and similar associations received funds from institutions based in the US and Germany.

It had said:

"The time of such funds, fund-friendly types, supporters of foreign mandate and influence agencies are over in the world. A 'new world' is being founded in the place of the old, and Turkey is getting its place in the new world. Nobody, neither CHP nor any other power, nor a political circle in the old world, can revive these outdated, shady ways in our country."

While the Patriotic Party is an insignificant political party in terms of the votes it receives in elections, it is a fervent supporter of the ruling People's Alliance and support expansionist policies of the Erdogan administration.