In France, the activities of the group of radical Turkish nationalists “Gray Wolves” were banned. The corresponding decision was made by the Council of Ministers at a meeting on November 4, TASS reports.
According to the statement of the head of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs Gerald Darmanen, the decision according to which the group was declared banned was made in accordance with the instructions of the President of the country Emmanuel Macron.
Among the reasons for the ban, it appears that the organization is made up of “extreme right-wing Turkish nationalists” who disseminate online calls for violence against Armenians and Kurds. In addition, they entered into clashes with the use of weapons on the territory of the country. It is also indicated that in France, the authorities have identified several training camps in which the “Gray Wolves” are being trained to participate in violent actions.
Since the group is an international organization, the ban will affect its activities only in France. According to BBC News, they decided to impose restrictions soon after the monument about the Armenian genocide near Lyon was damaged by pro-Turkish slogans. The name of the group and the letters RTE, the first letters of the name of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were also written on the memorial in yellow paint.
This, in turn, happened against the background of tension in relations between France and Turkey due to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Ankara supports Azerbaijan in it.
