The target of his anger was Russia, which has long been viewed as an ally of Mr Erdogan’s election opponent. And analysts suggest that such a sneaky trick by Moscow would make sense. ‘Russia definitely backs Erdogan’ [in the election]says Chatham House’s Garip Darley. “They trade in energy and grain. Putin even met with Erdogan, the head of the NATO member states, and he is not alone, and he is not alone in the NATO front. can even argue that they are not united.”
But Erdogan has since suggested that rival accusations of Russian interference were just a ploy to distract attention from the real culprits. After Ince resigned, he said, “One of the candidates has declined.” “Of course it is impossible to understand why. [Kilicdaroglu] Any idea? tape. how did he do that? They only know tricks. ”
And just as Russia has reasons to support Erdogan, Israel, the source of the falsified sex tapes, may have reasons to sack the Turkish president, according to the victims. “There has been a real vicious cycle between Israel and Turkey over the past decade,” said Daley. “Israel can be expected to support the opposition.”
But whatever the truth about foreign interference, there is little doubt that the world is watching the Turkish election with its surprising geopolitical significance. Turkey has long played what sources say is a “middle man” role, seeking to exploit its position as both a NATO member and a country with close ties to Moscow. It also plays a key role in controlling the flow of refugees into Europe, and despite President Erdogan’s increasingly autocratic instincts, large Islamic democracies remain in regions barely flooded with refugees. and continues to be.
But the Ukraine war has raised risks even further, with both the West and the East seeking to bring the world’s 11th-largest economy even further into their own camps. “And Turkey is trying to coordinate both sides’ positions,” the sources say. On the one hand, the Turkish government has blocked Sweden from joining NATO and from Russia’s gas purchases, but on the other hand it is “not turning a blind eye to weapons being smuggled through Turkish waters.” Nor has President Erdogan started discussing the Putin issue in the Western camp. ”
But if the election matters to the world beyond Turkey’s borders, it matters to Turkey as well. Opponents say it’s a chance to revive a battered economy that has left many Turks dramatically impoverished, with a plummeting currency and soaring inflation above 40%, creating a cost-of-living crisis. But Erdogan says he is the only one who can prevent a resurgence of the secular metropolitan elite that is dragging the country away from its cultural roots. He said Turkey can be strong and prosperous without leaning ruthlessly to the West.
