Belgian politician wants to renounce her Turkish nationality

State secretary for equal opportunities Zuhal Demir has initiated the procedure to give up her Turkish nationality, she says in an interview with De Morgen. Demir, a member of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA, had previously stated that she no longer wanted dual nationality and has now submitted an application to the Turkish Consulate.

"I no longer relate to the country where my parents grew up," says Demir. "The gap has become too big. The growing influence of Islam, the position of women, democracy and minorities: it's all going the wrong way.”

Demir is from Genk, has Turkish-Kurdish roots and studied law. She is not a proponent of dual nationality, in general, stating, “You're either Belgian, or you're Turkish.”