Bulgarian political scientist Krystev: Turkey's pro-Western orientation is beyond doubtErdogan's possible victory in the elections should not be considered a consequence of Ankara's change of orientation, writes "Facti" with reference to Bulgarian political scientists.
Turkey has always been an ally of the United States, and the talk that Erdogan will withdraw the country from NATO is a fiction, they are sure.
"I did not share the endless optimism of the Turkish opposition and did not believe that Erdogan would fall in the first round. Part of Turkey continues to believe in the president and approve of his policies," international journalist Nikolai Krystev said in the Euronews Bulgaria studio.
"This election is the first time we see a crack in Erdogan's support, which means that Turkish voters are thinking about changes. Judging by the map, the majority of votes for Erdogan come from abroad and from the Asian part of Turkey. Istanbul and major cities vote for the Kemalist party of Kilicdaroglu. It is worth noting that there is already a winner in the Turkish parliament — and this is Erdogan," said analyst Iskren Ivanov.
"The map is the same as in the 2014 elections, i.e. little has changed at the electoral level in Turkey. We see a monolithic majority living in the central and eastern part of Turkey, traditionally voting for Erdogan; the Kemalist part of Turkey remains in the same volume as in 2014. That is, Erdogan managed to achieve his goals. It is important to us what kind of Turkey will be next to Bulgaria," Krystev added.
According to him, both 10 years ago and now, young people leave Turkey and do not want to be realized in it. Young people see that Erdogan's rule does not provide the stability necessary for a pro-European and pro-Western orientation. Turkey faces many more elections and an unstable government. The losses from the earthquake are huge — almost 5% of GDP, which the Turkish economy has yet to recover.
"Erdogan's victory in these elections should not be interpreted as a pro-Asian orientation of the country. The truth is that Turkey has always been an ally of the United States, since the Cold War. The talk that Erdogan will withdraw the country from NATO is a fiction. Turkey depends on the American economy and knows very well what it will cost to abandon the West, rapprochement with Russia and non-compliance with the precepts of Kemal Ataturk. No Turkish leader will allow this," says Iskren Ivanov.
"Turkey's pro-Western orientation is beyond doubt, but someone wants to question it. The opposition leader rather sharply addressed Russia on Twitter in Russian and asked Russian friends not to interfere in the election results. Russia would like to see Erdogan at the head of the country more — it is easier to communicate with him. It is easier for authoritarian regimes to understand each other," Krystev believes.
"I cannot agree that Erdogan's re-election will push Turkey into Russia's sphere of influence. Turkey is the 16th largest economy, it is much more dependent on the West. The Republic of Turkey is our closest NATO ally, regardless of which leader will be at the helm," commented Iskren Ivanov.
"These elections are like referendums about where Turkey is going — 100 years after the proclamation of the republic," Krystev concluded.