Time to crack down on 'Islamophobia', Turkey's Erdogan tells EU

Remarks came a day after German group PEGIDA rallied thousands against what it calls "Islamisation of the Occident"

BERLIN/ ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned the European Union it should crack down on "Islamophobia" amid rising anti-Muslim protests instead of trying to teach Turkey lessons about democracy.

Erdogan told Turkey's ambassadors posted abroad in a speech in Ankara that they should pursue an assertive foreign policy to represent strong and self-confident "new Turkey" under his rule.

In a new attack on the EU, Erdogan called on the 28-member bloc to "revisit its Turkey policy", accusing Europe of dragging its feet on Ankara's decade-old membership bid.

"Believe me it is regrettable that the EU is trying teach a lesson to Turkey instead of trying to tackle very serious threats it is facing," he said.

Erdogan said racist, discriminatory activities and Islamophobia were on the rise in Europe, complaining that racist organisations won sympathy in some Western societies with "each passing day".

"The Islamophobia -- which we constantly draw attention to and warn of -- represents a serious threat in Europe."

"If the issue is not dealt with seriously today, and if populism takes European politicians captive, the EU and European values will come into question," he said.

His comments came a day after controversial German group PEGIDA rallied thousands of people in Dresden for a demonstration against what it calls the "Islamisation of the Occident".

Erdogan told the ambassadors Turkey needed to see itself as a great country, amid growing tensions with the EU over the crackdown on the opposition.

"Turkey is not a country which anyone can accuse by wagging their finger in big arrogance. Those who have such habits should abandon them," he added.

"Those who shake their finger and reprimand Turkey must see that they are dealing with a new Turkey, big Turkey, with its economy, democracy and foreign policy."

The president also warned the ambassadors to be "very careful" and "on alert" in the face of what he said was a campaign by Western media to portray Turkey as a country which "did not take its share from democracy".

"They (Western media) are not honest, they are not sincere. They come sit and talk with us. We give them necessary answers. We show them documents but despite all this, they go their own way," he said.

"Therefore, I am asking ambassadors to stand firm against them. You should hit all this immoral and false news in its face. You should not make any concession," he added.

Erdogan's comments Tuesday coincided with the detention in southeastern Turkey of Dutch reporter Frederike Geerdink. She was released after several hours of questioning over tweets allegedly supporting a "terrorist group".

German anti-migrant march draws highest turnout

A record 18,000 people turned out Monday for an anti-immigrant rally by a right-wing populist movement, ignoring a call by Chancellor Angela Merkel to snub such street protests.

Thousands also joined counter-demonstrations in several cities against the "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident", or PEGIDA group, whose weekly protests have been condemned by church, business and political leaders.

PEGIDA drew 18,000 people in the eastern city of Dresden, police said, up from the 17,500 that joined its last march there a few days before Christmas, in a movement that began with just a few hundred in October.

A counter-demonstration in Dresden drew some 3,000, police said.

Offshoot PEGIDA marches took place in the capital, Berlin, Stuttgart and Cologne but initially appeared to have been eclipsed by anti-PEGIDA supporters.

Cologne's landmark Gothic cathedral dimmed its outdoor lights in a stand against PEGIDA.

The city hall and other public and historic buildings in the western city followed suit, plunging the old town into darkness, in a similar protest act to that carried out by Dresden's Semper opera house last month.

Several thousand anti-PEGIDA protestors turned out in Cologne, some carrying placards stating "foreigner hatred is inhuman" or "shame for our country" while one held by supporters of the group read "think of your children".

In Berlin, more than 5,000 people rallied against PEGIDA compared to several hundred in support, national news agency DPA reported, also citing police in Stuttgart as saying around 5,000 PEGIDA opponents had turned out.

German Justice Minister Heiko Maas joined the anti-PEGIDA protest in Berlin, according to photos on his Twitter account, while the foreign ministry tweeted "there is no room for xenophobic agitation" in Germany.

The contested group calls itself a grassroots movement and says in its manifesto that it aims to protect "Judeo-Christian" values and urges tolerance for integrated Muslims, while opposing "misogynist, violent" ideology.

But opponents accuse it of thinly veiled neo-Nazi rhetoric and whipping up xenophobic sentiment in Germany which has become Europe's top haven for asylum seekers and the world's number two destination for migrants after the United States.

Similar PEGIDA marches in three western cities on December 22 drew up to 200 followers each but even with Dresden's then record turnout, these were outnumbered by counter-protests totalling 20,000 nationwide.

Immigration and the emergence of PEGIDA have prompted heated debate in Europe's top economy.

A poll for Stern news weekly published last week indicated that nearly 30 percent of Germans think Islam has so big an influence on life in the country that protest marches like PEGIDA are justified.

Without specifically naming PEGIDA, Merkel used her New Year's address to urge people not to join protests whose leaders often have "prejudice, coldness, even hatred in their hearts".

Merkel has been criticised by her former interior minister for having moved too far to the political centre, enabling anti-immigration and eurosceptic groups to outflank her on the right.