Thursday, February 19, marked the sixth anniversary of the Hanau terrorist attack. In this bloody racist terrorist attack that took place in Germany in 2020, nine immigrants lost their lives, four of whom were Turkish. Unfortunately, it is difficult to say that Germany, which has experienced far-right racist terrorist attacks targeting Turkish immigrants in the past, such as the Mölln (1992), Solingen (1993), and NSU (2000-2007) murders, has been sufficiently successful in stopping and preventing far-right terrorism.
Indeed, in Solingen, which experienced the 1993 tragedy, four more Turkish citizens of Bulgarian origin were brutally burned to death in another arson attack in 2024. These developments show that the threat of far-right terrorism is not an isolated one but a persistent security threat that is on the rise in the current climate. After all, the discussions following each terrorist attack, the investigation commissions established, and the court proceedings carried out show that Germany has not achieved lasting and effective success in combating far-right terrorism.
Beyond success, it is observed that in the post-Cold War era, and especially after September 11, with the rise of Islamophobia, far-right ideas have become increasingly normalized and mainstreamed. In this context, numerous studies reveal that far-right and violence-prone movements have increased their activities across Europe.
According to the latest 2024 report published by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the number of potential far-right individuals in Germany has risen alarmingly by approximately 25% in 2024, from 40,600 to 50,250. This number includes 15,300 violent far-right radicals. This figure was 14,500 in 2023.
A particular challenge for security authorities in Germany and Europe stems from perpetrators described as “lone wolves,” who radicalize themselves and act without any known connection to established far-right structures. In Germany, total far-right crimes and violent acts nearly doubled in 2024, rising to 37,835. Of these, 1,281 were violent crimes (an 11.6% increase over the previous year).
In the coming period, it is unfortunately highly likely that far-right parties and terrorist groups will become even more influential in Europe and Germany. This is because both the external and internal circumstances provide fertile ground for the rise of the far right.
From an external perspective, the existence of a strong Trump administration in the United States and Trump’s open support for far-right movements and parties has provided significant momentum for the far right in Europe. Trump and his entourage’s attempts to interfere in European elections and their open support for far-right parties make this process more visible. Violent far-right terrorist groups, emboldened by this political atmosphere, are also increasing their activities.
According to the report “The Rise of Far-Right Violence in Europe,” published by the European Liberal Forum, far-right extremists are inspiring each other in transnational online communities. Each new attack serves as a source of motivation for similar or even larger actions. Although these networks are decentralized, international connections, particularly between the USA and Europe, are growing stronger every day.
A common point highlighted in many reports on far-right terrorist groups in Europe and Germany is that these connections are mostly established through open and closed online groups and forums. Far-right ideologies are spread on these platforms; the online space also serves as a recruitment platform.
Looking at the internal situation, it is evident that over the past twenty years, a highly favorable environment has emerged in Europe for the weakening of mainstream parties and the rise of far-right parties and movements as an alternative. The European Union and its member states, whose share of international trade is shrinking, are entering a period of redistribution of wealth. The risk that broad segments of the population who believe they will lose out in this process will turn to the populist rhetoric of far-right parties, as has happened throughout history, is no longer just a possibility but a reality.
EUROPOL’s report “The State of Terrorism in the European Union and Trends 2025” and the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution’s 2024 report point to a new and even more worrying development. This development is the continuous exploitation of artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies. These technologies provide new opportunities in terms of recruiting members, propaganda, methods of action, and financing tools. These advanced technological tools are transforming the threat environment and complicating traditional counterterrorism and law enforcement intervention methods.
In this context, the involvement of children and young people in terrorism and violent extremism has been a worrying development that continued to increase in 2024. Mental health issues, social isolation, and digital addiction are key factors facilitating radicalization among young people. The fact that some suspects arrested for planning and preparing attacks in far-right circles are very young is a cause for serious concern. One notable development is the increasing interaction between far-right violent extremists and online occultist and Satanist communities known as the “764” or “Com” networks. In 2024, the number of new online platforms and the use of generative artificial intelligence and other new technologies for the production and dissemination of propaganda and hate speech reached record levels in far-right circles.
According to the European Commission’s Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) report, far-right violence is on the rise across the EU, highlighting the need for adequate measures to prevent and counter this threat. However, most of the current prevention and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) measures are inadequate because they were designed in response to the wave of far-right violence thirty years ago.
Looking at the whole picture, we can say that Europe and Germany are about to enter a new wave of far-right terrorism. Europe and Germany can only cope with this threat by changing their paradigm in the fight against terrorism and radicalization. If these steps are not taken, it is not a matter of possibility but of time before the tragedies of Hanau and Solingen are repeated.
This article was first published on the Türkiye Research Foundation’s Website on February 22, 2026.
