Turkey's Interior Minister accused the U.S. of interfering in the country's general election as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces possible historic defeat after his popularity massively declined.
What Happened: Süleyman Soylu accused the West of infiltrating Turkey’s political system since 1960 and said, “the plan by the U.S. intensifies actively," Sputnik reported, citing Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit.
See Also: Turkey's Erdogan Says Election Triumph Will Give ‘Message To The West' In Barb At US
"The reason for Western media’s interference is the realization of the U.S. plan,” Soylu stated.
“Tayyip Erdogan has eliminated all these Western intrusions. Now, the West started to push its vision [on Turkey]. With our victory in the 2023 election, a hundred-year stability will begin. They see it. There is no election a U.S. ambassador would not like to control,” Soylu added.
“They say Turkey’s geopolitical priorities do not meet [Western] interests… Turkey did not accept the U.S.’s mandate. They have been trying to take revenge for it for 104 years. Everyone is aware of it,” he reportedly said.
Why It Matters: Turkey's presidential elections are set to be held on May 14. The incumbent president is facing what could be his biggest defeat in 20 years as Erdogan's main challenger, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is giving the president a run for his money amid plunging popularity due to the cost of living crisis.
Erdogan has also been accused of cracking down on opposition groups, but supporters of the government have argued that the actions were justified due to the 2016 coup attempt and the danger posed by “terrorist” organizations.
Read Next: Turkey’s Erdogan Warns Greece Its Missiles Can Hit Athens — ‘If You Don’t Stay Calm…’
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