On Aug. 12, a significant and alarming event unfolded in Eskisehir, a city often praised as one of the safest in the world. An 18-year-old youth executed Türkiye’s first neo-Nazi-motivated mass attack. The attacker, who hailed Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik and Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant as saints, was quickly apprehended by law enforcement. Following the attack, neo-Nazi movements in Türkiye came under scrutiny. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the incident in Eskisehir, emphasizing that any attack on Türkiye’s cultural and religious values is unacceptable. He pledged to protect the youth from dangerous foreign ideologies, stating, “We will not tolerate vulgar racism.” A group calling itself the “National Front” was discovered, raising concerns that this organization, which praises Nazis on Telegram, uses Nazi symbols in its flags, and identifies as racist, could inspire similar mass attacks. The “National Front” group, composed mainly of young members, conducts propaganda through social media platforms and also engages in various real-world actions. Glorifies Nazi ideology: Through posts on Telegram, they praise Nazi leaders and movements. Displays Nazi symbols: Their flags bear Nazi insignia, including the “Black Sun,” and they perform Nazi salutes. Arda K., who carried out the Eskisehir attack, wore a helmet featuring the Nazi symbol “Black Sun” and had his face masked during the incident. Identifies as racist: They openly define themselves as racist and advocate violence against minorities. The National Front operates under the guise of the National Front Party (NFP), an unofficial organization that identifies as national socialist but adheres to neo-Nazi principles. Their leadership includes: Onurcan Kocak who describes himself as the so-called chief of the National Front Party claims that the group’s true leader is a former military officer, though some speculate that Kocak himself may be the real leader, using the officer as a decoy. Kocak’s assertions about the group’s “national socialist” beliefs and the secrecy surrounding its leadership structure raise serious concerns about the potential involvement of former military personnel in extremist movements.
via turkietoday: Unveiling Türkiye’s neo-Nazis: Investigating rise of far-right extremism