Belgium’s far-right Vlaams Belang party sparks controversy by launching a campaign targeting Diyanet mosques and using Erdoğan’s image
A new campaign poster by Vlaams Belang calls for the closure of Diyanet mosques in Belgium, featuring President Erdoğan’s image and intensifying debate over foreign influence and religious funding
Belgium’s far-right Vlaams Belang party has ignited controversy with its latest campaign targeting Diyanet mosques across the country. A newly released poster features a prominent image of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish flag, and the Belgium Diyanet Foundation logo, with striking messages demanding the closure of these mosques. The campaign asserts that there are more than sixty Diyanet-affiliated mosques operating in Belgium, with forty-three located in the Flandre region.
Vlaams Belang claims that Diyanet mosques facilitate foreign influence in Belgium, a sentiment the party has voiced in even stronger terms on social media. They allege that these mosques are managed directly by Ankara and benefit from Belgian taxpayer funding, calling this a breach of national sovereignty. The party’s leadership is demanding that the Flemish government immediately end all support and financial assistance to Diyanet mosques, further escalating an already intense debate over religious freedom and national identity.
This campaign comes amid reports of a rise in harassment against Turkish women wearing headscarves in Flandre, incidents many blame on the heightened rhetoric promoted by Vlaams Belang. Human rights groups and community leaders have expressed deep concern over the consequences of the party’s actions, warning that such divisive campaigns risk increasing polarization and discrimination in Belgian society.
