Turkish Islamist Network in Italy

Summary:  The role of Turkey under AKP rule has become increasingly problematic as Erdogan’s expansionist and hegemonic aims have brought instability in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabah while the nationalist and pro-Islamist propaganda has caused strong tensions and episodes of violence in Europe, such as the aggressions perpetrated by the Turkish nationalist group “Gray Wolves” in late October 2020 against the Armenian community, a case that brought French authorities to ban the group. In early November, German and international media reported that Turkish extremists sent threatening messages to Armenians living in Germany, with a significant increase in concurrence with the Nagorno-Karabakh war. In the meantime, Ankara’s hate propaganda heavily targeted Charlie Hebdo after the new publication of satirical cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad, as well as Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who accused France of Islamophobia and even reached the point of claiming that French president, Emmanuel Macron, needs mental checks. As…