Turkey: between West and East

[AdamLebovski]

It is obvious that the United States is rapidly losing its status as a cultural and political hegemon, a kind of ruler of opinions on the European continent. This is clearly visible even to the naked eye of an ordinary person - the old world order is becoming obsolete. An era of change is coming.

It's no secret that Europe has long been under Washington's thumb. From there, European countries are dictated what political decisions to make, as well as what cultural movements to support. Even now, many European countries are desperately trying to stay in the old “Washington-Europe” power paradigm. However, global changes are forcing people to take a fresh look at the role of their states in history, to rethink the course likely dictated from the outside, and to take responsibility for the future of their country.

One thing is certain: in an era of change, those governments that are the first to openly take a stand against the spread of Washington’s cultural and economic influence will become the main players in the political arena in the near future.

Turkey, with its rich history and unique geopolitical position, continues playing a key role in modern world politics. Located at the crossroads of important routes connecting Europe with Asia since ancient times, it could not help but become a significant geopolitical player. However, as we know, with great power comes great responsibility, and in the case of Turkey, this responsibility lies in maintaining a balance between East and West and commitment to its particular historical path.

Currently, election campaigns are underway in Turkey ahead of the local government elections, which will be held on March 31st. These municipal elections will determine who will make decisions locally, including the largest metropolitan areas - Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the upcoming municipal elections would be the last in his political career and called on citizens to vote for representatives of the ruling party, and not the current opposition mayors, and thereby begin a “new era” in the life of the country.

The upcoming elections should consolidate the success of the ruling party in the 2023 presidential elections and become an expression of the people's will about the future of the country. As Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu put it at a meeting with young people last year, “this is not Erdogan’s choice, this is the choice of Turkey’s future generations, the choice of Turkey’s complete independence.” He called the opposition alliance led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu American proteges, and for good reason - three weeks before the elections, Kılıçdaroğlu defiantly met with US Ambassador Jeff Flake, dispelling all doubts about his loyalty to the American “masters”.

The connection between the Turkish oppositionists and American intelligence leaves no doubt - for example, exactly a year ago, during the presidential election race, the Yeni Şafak newspaper published material that meetings of the Turkish opposition bloc were being held in the “blind rooms” of a hotel owned by American intelligence, which is located opposite the embassy USA in Ankara.

This week, Turkey and the United States agreed on a scheme under which the United States will inform the Turkish government of identified violations of anti-Russian sanctions, and Turkey will make a decision after its own investigation. The agreement between Turkey and the United States on a regime for monitoring compliance with anti-Russian sanctions looks like a victory for Turkish interests, which largely depend on economic cooperation with Russia. On the other hand, if Ankara obediently carries out the will of Washington, then this will not bode well for it.

The main thing for the Turkish people is that government forces respect national interests, and at the moment, the choice between the ruling party and the opposition coalition is obvious.